The End Where We Begin
by heartlandiansoisle
Summary: An alternative universe where Ty and Amy meet by chance and end up learning that lives can actually begin more than once. / This was written by me and S.L. Rode wrote back in 2014. I never published it here and I was asked to put it up here, so here it is. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

"Highway Two-A… what?" Holding the road map against the steering wheel Amy's frustrated gaze drifted up to the road sign in front of her. "There is no Two-A," she complained to the empty cab of her truck, once again seriously regretting her decision to not use a GPS and road trip old school with nothing but a fold-up map and good old fashioned intuition. Unfortunately for her, her intuition didn't come with a compass.

Twenty-two hours on the road from Vancouver, with an overnight stop in Creston, British Columbia and Amy was seriously rethinking this soul-searching trip her sister, Lou, pushed her to take. It seemed like a good idea at the time, Amy desperately needing to get out of the city that held too many hard memories for her to face, but now she faced a whole new set of problems. Aside from being lost, both she and her truck needed to refuel and the check engine light had been glowing orange since she passed through Fort Mac over an hour ago. It could be argued that she wasn't really lost, having no true destination set forth, but Calgary was the closest known city where she could get her truck looked at and find a place to bunk for the night with hopes that whatever the little orange light meant wasn't anything serious.

If she could figure out how to get there first.

The trip over the Rockies was a long one, with a whole lot of scenery and not many people. The ones she ran into along the way were friendly enough, mostly ranchers, but they were few and far between. The road she was on now was deserted with nothing but mountains to her left and canola fields to her right. It was a beautiful place, but would be much more appealing if she had any idea where she was.

Sitting on the side of the road wouldn't get her anywhere if no one passed by, though. So tossing her map onto the dashboard, Amy eased back onto the highway and followed it hoping she hit some sort of civilization before she ran out of gas or her truck broke down completely.

Turns out luck was on her side that day as Amy got off the highway in a town called Hudson, her truck involuntarily rolling to a stop diagonally between two parking spaces on the main street.

Sighing in relief, Amy dug for her cell phone, an old fashioned flip model that was of almost no use compared to the fancy smartphones everyone had now. Maybe if she'd have splurged and gotten one, she wouldn't be stuck now, but she made the most of it by climbing out and surveying the little town she came upon. She located a body shop down the road that she walked to, pursing her lips at the 'Closed' sign. Figures. Small towns and their blue laws.

On her way back a sign for a vegetarian chili special outside of a diner caught her eye, making her stomach rumble anxiously as entered the establishment. She found an empty seat at the counter where the girl, who looked about Amy's age, working behind it smiled and came to hand her a menu. "Coffee?"

"Please." Amy nodded, opening the menu to give it a once over even though she had her sights set on the chili.

"I haven't seen you around before. New or just passing through?" The girl asked as she poured the coffee.

"Hopefully just passing through, but my truck died just down the road and your repair shop is closed, so I guess I'll be here for a day or so if you have any hotel recommendations?" Amy closed the menu and picked up her coffee, taking a small sip.

"Mm, unfortunately that shop has been closed for almost a year now, but I know a few people that would be willing to give it a look. As for a place to stay, there's a small motel around the corner." She gestured in the general direction before turning to put the coffee pot back on the machine.

"Oh… all right, well, thank you." Amy lowered her gaze briefly to the menu before closing it and ordering the chili.

She sat quietly for a moment while the girl put in the order, her gaze wandering around the diner toward the tack store at the back. Sliding from the stool, Amy wandered between the aisles, browsing through the western tack and clothing, surprised by the amount of plaid she saw. Reaching the end of the store, she turned around to head back toward the diner when her eyes landed on a bulletin board covered in business cards and flyers. She scanned them all in turn, lifting a 'Lost Dog' flyer to see a real estate listing posted beneath it. She didn't know why, but something made her pull it down and carry it with her back to her seat where her chili arrived second later, the girl glancing down at the paper.

"So, may I ask where you're headed?" She asked, leaning against the counter.

Amy poked her spoon into the chili. It looked good and smelled even better. "Well, I was headed to Calgary, but I sort of got lost before I could get there," she laughed at herself, taking a bite of food.

"Well, you're not far. It's only about an hour north of here. Just take Highway Two straight up."

The spoon froze in Amy's hand as her eyes shot up to the girl. "You're kidding. Here I thought I was miles from civilization and about to find myself in Montana."

"Nope, you're headed the right way." Her eyes lowered to the flyer beside Amy again. "Are you in real estate?"

Amy glanced down at the listing. "Oh… no… no I just… thought the place looked interesting. Historical. It's a decent piece of property, how come the price is so low?"

"It was a foreclosure. One of the residents here bought it after the man who owned it died and… well… the place is more like an urban legend around here." She looked up as the door opened, standing straighter and grinning at the man who just walked in. "Actually, the guy who owns it just walked in. Hey Ty, come here a second. Someone here looking at the Hanley place. This is…"

"Amy Fleming," Amy finished, offering her hand for Ty to shake.


	2. Chapter 2

Ty Borden opened the cupboard in his kitchen and looked at the half empty shelves. He didn't know why he always got so disappointed as he knew what was expected - the same old sight: processed food and a pile of dust. And even more so, he didn't know why he didn't do anything about it. It would probably take just few minutes to wipe the dust off and one trip to the local shop to fetch something fresh to eat.

Or maybe there was something comforting in this weird sad and pathetic lifestyle he lead. At least he knew he couldn't sunk any lower than this.

"So, Remi…" he said and glanced at the five-year-old Shephard next to him. "What do you think we should eat today?"

He touched the canned goods one by one, as if he was browsing them like books.

"Baked beans, baked beans or… wait for it - baked beans?"

He looked down on the dog, who tilted her head to the left, trying to understand the weird noises her human kept making.

"Baked beans, hm?" Ty asked. "That's what I thought."

He took one of the cans out and closed the rest of them back to the dark and dusty cupboard again. Ty didn't even need to open the can to know how the beans smelled, tasted or looked like. They weren't too delicious nor did they feel that great to chew either, but for Ty having a meal was just necessity so he could have the energy to do everything else he had planned for himself.

The young man sat on the edge of the porch of his house, listening to the crickets chirping and birds singing, and stuffed another spoonful of beans inside of his mouth. When he had had enough, he looked at Remi who was sitting faithfully next to him and waiting for her share.

"You want the rest?" Ty asked and offered her the can. The dog smelled it, but waited for Ty to pour it on her plate she had on the porch. This was their usual spot. Ty couldn't remember the last time he had eaten a properly cooked meal on his kitchen table - well, he could actually, to date, but tried his best to forget it. Sometimes Ty wondered if he was more sad that there weren't two people sitting around it or the fact that such a fine table didn't get any actual use these days. It was covered in dated newspapers, paid pills and doodles of new furnitures. But a table like that should have been used for candle light dates, Thanksgiving dinners and fresh baked goods.

While Remi was destroying the rest of the beans, Ty walked to the side of his little house and watched at the backyard. The sun colored the long hay golden like the ground would be on fire. It was a warm summer afternoon and the heat almost made the view seem like a mirage. Somewhere in the distance Ty could see a lonely black figure grazing. The animal had not come closer than that for days, but he was probably happy where he was. He had his hay, water and freedom - what more could a horse want. Ty left him to be and walked back to Remi. The Shephard was licking the plate clean and enjoyed every drop like it would be her first time tasting the canned food.

"Well, at least one of us isn't tired of them yet. — Come on, girl. Let's get the table", Ty said to the dog and tapped his thigh, giving her a sign to join him.

Ty packed the restored diner table to the back of his GMC and lift up the tailgate. He made sure the table was tightly tied in place before he went to lock the doors of his workshop. No one in Alberta really locked their doors, cars or barns, but Ty's workshop was more important to him than anything else he possessed, so he wasn't about to push his luck. Remi waited for him at the other side of the truck and Ty went to let her inside. He took the dog almost everywhere he went and his customers were almost more interested "if Remi was with him" than about the furniture he returned back to them, finer than ever.

"Good girl," he said to her and closed the door. The dog put her head out of the open window and peered around.

After a fifteen minute drive, Ty parked his car in front of Maggie's Diner and glanced at the new truck in a row, a truck he had never seen before. In Hudson everyone knew everyone and everyone was always in everyone else's business. It had not bothered Ty too much until he started to hear whispers about himself and realized that no matter what the truth was, not everyone wanted to hear it. After a while he had somewhat reclused to his own house with Remi. That being said, there were still few people he liked to keep contact with every now and then. The diner owner, Maggie Duvall, was one of them. She had offered him a nice job restoring the diner tables and chairs, little by little. Maggie wanted to support local craftsmanship and Ty was happy to help a friend out. It wasn't an exciting job, but while waiting for something better to come around, it was enough to keep his hands busy.

"Hey Ty, come here a second. Someone here looking at the Hanley place," Ty had not even stepped in to the diner properly when he heard Maggie's daughter, Soraya, calling his name. His eyes moved toward her and he noticed she was serving coffee to a blonde stranger. "This is…"

"Amy Fleming," the woman offered her hand. It took a while for Ty to catch up on everything Soraya had said and then focus back on what the woman was saying.

"Nice to meet you, Amy", Ty shook her hand and looked at her. She was about his age, maybe few years younger, and the first thing he noticed about her, oddly, were her freckles. "Did you say something about the Hanley place…?" he checked from Soraya, frowning. It was like he was hearing a name of an old relative of whom no one had spoken in a while.


	3. Chapter 3

Amy smiled at the man as he took her hand, being brief and casual with the exchange of the handshake, lowering hers to her lap when it ended. She could still feel the residual warmth and roughness of his skin on hers, giving her the first subtle clue as to who this man was by telling her he worked with his hands quite often.

"I was just browsing the bulletin board and saw it was for sale. Um…" she looked questioningly toward the girl behind the counter, not knowing her name.

"Soraya," she introduced herself.

"Soraya was telling me that the place was an… urban legend?" She inquired, thinking that was an odd reason for the property to be so cheap.

Ty laughed lightly, touching his chin as he wondered what he could tell her. He thought it was best to tell the truth from the go, so Amy wouldn't fall in love with the place before knowing what she was falling for.

"Well, yeah. I suppose that's true," Ty said and glanced at Soraya. "It's been empty for a while now. The previous owner died there, so word is that it's haunted." He smiled as he broke the news to her, hoping it would make it somehow less shocking.

Ty didn't believe the rumors, especially since he lived next to the estate. Around the time of Mr. Hanley's death, Ty had noticed that the man had not done anything for days, hadn't gone out or come in, and there was a light on in his bedroom no matter what the time of day was. After a while Ty had decided to pay a visit, wondering if Mr. Hanley had traveled out of town and just forgot the light was on. But it turned out that he had not gone on vacation: Ty had found him dead on his bedroom floor, face down, and alone. He had called an ambulance, even though it was obvious Mr. Hanley had been like that for few days. They had not known each other well, but he had always been a good, quiet neighbor and greeted him with a nod if they ever met anywhere.

When she heard the term 'urban legend' Amy wasn't sure what to think. It was a small town and from her experience the people that lived in them were either welcoming and friendly, or didn't take kindly to strangers, least of all ones from the city. Soraya seemed friendly enough, but the way she looked when she saw Amy with the flyer made her wonder if she just said that to scare her off. At the moment Amy wasn't really looking to move out of Vancouver, certainly not to a place like this where the whole town shut down before it got dark and the closest neighbor was miles away. She liked her privacy, but that type of seclusion might be a little bit too much for her mind to handle. Or it could be just what she needed. Either way, she wasn't about to throw her life savings to chance. Still, the place interested her and hearing that it came with a back-story intrigued her even more.

Amy narrowed her eyes suspiciously at Ty. "Haunted? Really?" Ty nodded. She wasn't sure if she believed that, not putting much credit in the paranormal, but people would believe anything if the story, or story-teller, was convincing enough.

"If you're trying to sell the place, I'm not sure that's the way to do it. Then again, not everyone is that gullible." She picked up the paper to study the printed images of the old house, the barn, and little cemetery. "I suppose you're going to tell me he's buried in this cemetery and wanders the property at night in search of his bloody revenge?"

"That's one version of the story, I guess," Ty nodded, realizing how silly it sounded when someone put it like that. He knew it was ridiculous to begin with, but he was so used to hearing it from the people in town and not giving it much thought, that he had almost forgotten that it wasn't just a silly old joke that went around. Someone else pointing it out almost made them all seem like a bunch of fools. "But I haven't heard any noises or seen anything out of the ordinary - and I live next door," Ty told her, in case she was even slightly interested. He was already ready to bet she would no longer be so enchanted by the place, because no one ever gave the house second chance after hearing about its past.

It was funny: Mr Hanley had died of natural causes, but everyone somehow believed the death was contagious or they would be jinxing it by moving in. "If you're looking for a cheap thrill, I suggest you rent a scary movie instead of visit that house."

Amy wasn't sure how much credit she gave Ty's story. For the people that lived here, that house was their Amityville Horror. Probably the house kids dared each other to play 'Ding-Ding-Ditch' and vandalized on Halloween. They probably held bets on who would be able to camp out there for an entire night and concocted a myriad of crazy rumors - most of which most likely weren't even close to being true. Amy knew of those places. They were characters in books and movies and every town seemed to have one, which made for a good local ghost story to scare people at sleepovers, but Amy wasn't one to be phased by such things. She was a skeptic, not believing until seeing proof.

"Don't worry, I'm not here to hunt ghosts that I don't even believe exist. I was just on my way to Calgary when my truck broke down. It just happened to catch my eye. It looks like it could have been beautiful in its prime. Time didn't treat it very well, did it?" A shame. The barn didn't look like much and more like it was about to fall down, but the house looked solid and just in need of some TLC, and maybe a new roof. Then again, you couldn't really tell a whole lot from a picture and it might be rotting away from the inside out.

Ty exchanged glances with Soraya again. Seemed like this woman was talking about the house so much differently than others did. Like she could see the potential instead of what it was lacking.

"Well, no. It was a beautiful place once upon a time," Ty told her and looked at the pictures, seeing it all in his head. "I was hoping to bring some of that back by renovating it, but… so far I've not gotten very far. And it almost seems pointless since there aren't many people who would want to live there and invest time and money to it."

Amy didn't know much about real estate or architecture or renovating a house. She could barely fix the drawers on her dresser at home and the one was still stuck part way open. But she did know what it was like to put the time and effort into fixing something that couldn't be appreciated. So she could understand Ty's hesitance to tackle such a time-consuming and demanding project when he probably had other things he could be doing that earned him money instead of blowing it on a fixer-upper.

Amy held onto the piece of paper, studying the scaled image of the property. "Well, from the sound of it I'll be stuck here until tomorrow. So, if you have the time, I'd be interested to see what you had in mind for the place." She had nothing else to occupy her time unless she just wanted to crash in the motel room, but she couldn't waste the rest the day inside watching mindless television. Plus, she really wanted to see whether or not this place was as creepy and "haunted" as they claimed.


	4. Chapter 4

After dropping the table at Maggie's, Ty had promised to take Amy to the house since her truck wasn't working and she had asked him if she could take a look at the place. Ty wasn't sure if she was actually interested enough to buy it, but since he was not in a hurry and it seemed like she wanted to see something else than the old flowery curtains of the motel, Ty had told her to jump in his truck, right next to Remi. The dog was sitting between them and enjoying the ride, getting more restless as they arrived closer to the home.

Climbing into vehicles with strange men was something Amy knew better than to do. It wasn't a wise decision anywhere you were, but she didn't get that threatening vibe from Ty. Of course she could always be wrong and he was very good at staying in character, but Amy figured she'd take a chance and see what came of it.

She climbed in the cab of Ty's truck, introducing herself to the dog that had scooted over to the center to make room and spent the drive scratching her ears and running her fingers through her thick coat.

"I hope you don't mind, but we need to park at my place. I put some heavy logs on the road that leads to the house so the kids would stop driving to the farm without permission", Ty said, trying to prevent her from panicking why he had suddenly changed the course. "There's a little path from my house that leads to the farm, so we won't have to walk too far."

Amy's gaze wandered out the window cautiously, checking to see what sort of place this guy lived in and relaxed a little when she saw it wasn't a cabin in the middle of the woods. It was actually a cute little house with some property attached like they all seemed to have around here, unlike in the city where you had just a few layers of Sheetrock between neighbors. "No, it's fine. It's a beautiful day for a walk."

When Ty parked the truck, Amy climbed out and took a brief look around, her gaze wandering to the large field off to the side of the driveway where it appeared a horse was grazing in the distance. "Is he yours?" she inquired, nodding in the direction of the animal.

Ty got out of the truck and ordered Remi next to him, even though Amy didn't seem bothered by the dog. His eyes wandered toward the young gelding who had heard the truck and was looking at them curiously, but had not moved much since he had left.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that. I was afraid they'd put him down, so I figured I'd save him, but… now I don't know if putting him down had been the right thing to do after all," Ty told her and put his hand inside of his pockets.

"Why? He seems quiet enough." Of course that didn't mean much when he was being left alone in his pasture.

There had been few close calls with him and Spartan when he had tried to get the animal inside his little barn or load him into a trailer. Ty had even asked from the vet if he had life insurance covered before he examined the gelding. "He's impossible to work with. He doesn't really let anyone close to him. For now he's just grazing but… I guess he lost his faith in humans when he almost starved to death. It wasn't intentional, because he used to belong Mr. Hanley - the man who lived in the house, but when he died… no one realized there was a horse close to dying too. I just think everything and everyone is worth a second chance. That's probably why I bought the farm and that damn horse."

Amy studied the black horse curiously, listening to Ty but watching his tail swish away flies as his attention was completely on the people staring at him. Hearing the poor animal's story hit so close to home that Amy almost turned and walked away because she couldn't take the sudden ache that erupted in her chest.

"Poor guy." She wandered over to the fence and stepped onto the bottom rail to lean over it. Moving closer seemed to alarm the animal who took a few trot steps away to maintain their original distance, causing Amy to step down and back off. "I see what you mean. Does he have a name?"

Ty followed Amy's steps, taking his time to reach the fence. He knew that the closer they got, the further the horse wanted to be.

"Spartan. That's what read in the papers Mr. Hanley had, " Ty told her. "I think he must have been a fine looking horse back in the day to get a name like that."

It always made Ty a little sad to watch him for too long. The horse was a reminder that even if someone was worth a second shot, they couldn't always be saved.

"The Spartans were the most feared warriors in ancient Greece. When they went to battle it was to win, or to die. Surrender was considered the ultimate disgrace." Her eyes never left the gelding. Her voice was quiet, thoughtful, and for a very long moment she continued to study the animal who seemed to be doing exactly the same to her.

"I think his name means more now than it did before," she said finally pulling her eyes away from the horse to look at Ty. The man had to admire her way of speaking. "If his trust is gone, it's going to take a lot for you to get it back." He might not even be able to depending on how scarred the animal was, but Amy didn't believe in lost causes and certainly not in destroying perfectly healthy animals.

She wasn't here to look at a horse, though, and stepped away from the fence when she remembered why she was even there in the first place. "Let's go see this Hanley place."


	5. Chapter 5

Ty took Amy to the Hanley Farm and showed her around. He was not very experienced when it came to telling about estates - nor did he even know much about this one - so he just mentioned whatever slipped into his mind at given moments. Besides, Amy was just looking around, not looking into buying the place, so selling it to her was not even on Ty's agenda.

Amy could see where people would get the idea that the place was haunted. It definitely had that creep factor that came with lack of maintenance and age. The place lacked life and color, and the old overgrown cemetery didn't help matters. It definitely looked like Ty had quite the project on his hands. There was a lot that needed to be fixed, replaced, or just torn down and disposed of entirely. She could see why he was hesitant to get in too deep with it until he could find a buyer. For many, the place must have looked like just a pile of old wood or waste of space, but it was easy to imagine how lively the house must have been back in the day. It was a decent sized property, and from the tire swing hanging from a half-dead tree, and the empty flower boxes along the windows of the house, was once probably a lovely family home.

"The story goes, there was a fire here at some point. Long before I was even born. They rebuilt the barn, but I know it doesn't look much now", Ty explained.

Amy's eyes drifted over to the old decrepit barn, trying to imagine that poor horse back in Ty's field having been trapped in there and left to starve. "It definitely doesn't look like it'd be able to hold a horse desperate for his life." From first glance, he should have been able to kick the walls down to get out, but maybe it was more structurally sound inside than it appeared.

When they stepped up onto the rotted porch of the house, Ty told her where to be careful of the weak spots that would swallow her foot if she stepped the wrong way. The front door creaked loudly, surely alerting any lingering ghosts of their presence. Their footsteps echoed throughout the vacant house as they wandered inside.

It was obvious it had been empty for a while now and the air inside was almost too thick to breathe. Ty could tell the smell of death still lingered in the walls and floors even though he had done everything he could to get it out. Ty had burned some of the furniture, since a lot of it had been broken, poorly fixed, or just damaged beyond repair. The rest were hidden under covers and it almost created somewhat haunting atmosphere. Like time had stood still.

The ceilings were high, Amy looking up at the cracked plaster and kept from standing beneath any light fixtures that still managed to hang on above them. A fine layer of dust and debris coated the hardwood floors that had long ago lost their shine. Amy could see where Ty did some work with trying to sweep up and take out the carpeting to start fresh. The paint was chipped away, large chunks in some spots, and the wallpaper yellowed and faded. The windows were nearly opaque with grime, a few missing panes replaced with plywood to keep the weather out.

"You said the owner died in here?" Amy surveyed the immediate area, feeling chills run along her arms at the thought. "It's weird. You can just.. feel it. It has that presence, you know? How long ago was it?"

"It was…" Ty stopped to count, "like a little over six months ago," he said and then nodded, when he decided it was the right amount of time. "And you're right… I think it has the feel." Ty looked around. He had to admit that even though he did not believe in ghosts, still whenever he visited the house, there was just something odd in the air that kept him checking over his shoulder just to see if someone was standing behind him.

Six months? Looking around, Ty could have told her it'd been an empty space for ten years and she'd have believed him. This Mr. Hanley that once lived here obviously didn't bother to keep up with the place, but Amy wasn't going to judge a man she never knew.

"Though, I don't know if it's actually something the place has or does it come from knowing about the past." Ty realized the cemetery at the back of the yard was like something out of a Halloween setting, but it had been common practice to bury the loved ones near your house way back in the day. Somewhere along the way it had become creepy and something people did not do anymore. But Amy seemed calm about it all and not too grossed out when he talked about Mr. Hanley's death.

She wasn't sure about the place. Ty was right that the story behind it gave the house a sort of skewed perspective. It was eerie, but at the same time Amy couldn't help looking around in awe at the history it held as they made their way gradually through each room of the first floor. Loose boards creaked and more than once Amy felt an odd sensation of being watched, brushing it off as just the residual chills from the story Ty told her.

"So, this Mr. Hanley. He lived here by himself? Didn't he have any family to inherit the place after he died? Or were they too creeped out by it, too?" Amy asked, stopping at the base of the staircase to the second floor, her eyes trailing up to the landing at the top.

"Yup, just him and the horse. I think he might have had a sister or something," Ty recalled hearing about it when he bought the place, "but she was living in New York at the time of his passing and they weren't that close, so she didn't want the place." Ty looked around, feeling the urge to start fixing up the place right now. He always had that need to fix things, even though he wasn't sure where to begin, but he knew that it wasn't very profitable right now. People were moving away from places like Hudson to the bigger cities, and they wanted new, quickly built houses, not something that would take a while to come together. Only few were following the trend where they wanted to make the old new again, relax in the countryside with no noise and work off the land - especially in a place like this. The Hanley farm wasn't very idyllic to many, not that Ty had expected it anyway.

Seemed like people had very little patience these days. Things needed to happen now and they needed to happen cheaply. Ty knew this project didn't fall under either of those categories and that's why the flyer had stayed untouched for ages before Amy had asked about it. "So, you wanna go up or run away screaming already?" he looked at the stairs and then back to Amy.

It was sad, in a way, to think Mr. Hanley lived there all alone with just his horse. It made her wonder a lot of things, but Amy didn't know the man aside from what Ty told her and wasn't going to draw conclusions from the assumptions she made by having a look at the farm because they wouldn't be very nice. But hearing about it fed Amy's natural desire to want to help. She just wasn't yet sure how she even could except to see the potential in the property as Ty did. Maybe it would encourage him to start doing more with it.

Amy glanced from the top of the stairs to Ty. "I'm not scared. Come on," she laughed, grabbing onto the banister and starting to the second floor, pausing at the top for Ty to take the lead and continue playing tour guide. Ty followed her, taking it slower and smiling absentmindedly. He didn't know when the house had last heard laughter.

There wasn't much else to see upstairs, just enough bedrooms for a decent-sized family and a bathroom to share between them. That must have been fun. There was another door that had steps leading to the attic, but Amy wasn't feeling quite that brave and led the way back down the stairs to the front porch, staring out toward the farmyard while Ty locked the house again. "So, what were you thinking in terms of remodel?" She was curious to know his vision for the place.

"Well, it has good bones, so I thought the structure would stay pretty much the same. But I'd have to go through the walls, see if some of them need more support or if they can be knocked down. There are some rooms that would look better if I created more space," he looked at Amy briefly to check if she understood what he meant. She nodded, her eyes trailing over the front windows, trying to picture which rooms Ty was thinking of combining. "Add new wallpapers, paint, new floors, maybe plumbing - I don't know - heating, roof, furniture… so, a lot of things," he summed up. "It just has so much character, you know. New houses… they don't have the same kind of history, stories or feel. They are just a pile of elements. It's a shame people don't see that."

"Oh, I don't know. Given enough time those fancy new cookie-cutter homes will have their own stories to tell. They won't be new forever. But, you're right. They don't build them like this anymore. They're much more practical now, and safer." She was just poking a little fun, smiling to indicate as much. It was true, though, these old homes had a lot of hidden problems and faulty wiring. Who knew what Ty would find once he started tearing through the walls and floors. But truthfully, Amy agreed with Ty. She grew up in an old home before moving to her apartment in the city and still missed that old place every day.

"This is quite a large undertaking. Were you going to just do it all yourself? Mister Fix-It?" She tried to imagine how long it would take him to even get the house ready for people to live in if anyone ever decided to take the chance and buy it.

Ty smiled at the nickname Amy gave him.

"Well, not everything. Obviously I am not qualified enough, but I want to take part in this project. I have my plans, but I realize they can change and someone who knows these things better will give me more input. But I like a little challenge. And this place… it definitely is one."


	6. Chapter 6

By the time Amy and Ty left the Hanley farm, the sun was falling behind the mountains as another day ended its cycle. The last rays broke through the trees, casting the property in streaks of golden hue. The house lit up in a way that made Amy stop to gaze at it. Even the cemetery didn't look as haunting in that light. For once the place looked alive, even inviting. It really did have the potential to turn into something amazing given enough tender loving care and time.

The hike back down the path that joined Ty's property to the Hanley's was quiet, Amy mulling over Ty's ideas for the house. She climbed back into his truck to again sit beside his dog, smiling at the shepherd and giving her a few more scratches behind the ears on the trip back to town.

"Thank you for taking me out to see the place. It's a lot of work, but I think it'll be worth it when it's all said and done." Maybe if things were different, if she were different, she'd even find a way to help make that happen. As it was, even though it didn't feel like it anymore, Amy's home was still in Vancouver.

"Don't mention it," Ty glanced at her and found himself smiling. This was the first time in a while he had had any company at his house - well, technically notin his house, but around his house nevertheless. He had not expected it to feel this nice, comfortable even. Something about this young woman made him feel like he wanted to be part of something again. Like maybe there was hope for him and the world yet. He almost wanted to tell her about it, but figured it would probably be too much coming from a complete stranger. Besides, he'd have to explain a little bit more about himself for Amy to fully realize why he felt the way he did, but Ty didn't think he was ready for that. Some ghost stories were better left untold.

"So, I think I heard something about your truck being broken?" he checked and turned right as he headed back to the diner again.

Amy laughed as she sighed, slumping back against the seat. "Yeah. Unfortunately it didn't make it through the Rockies very well. It's not exactly meant for these old country roads." It was used to short trips through the city, stop-and-go traffic, and even sitting for days at a time when Amy opted to walk or take public transportation.

"I was hoping to get it to a mechanic when I rolled in, but apparently the one in town is closed. Soraya mentioned she knew some people who could look at it, so hopefully she's found someone." She'd have to remember to stop in if the diner was still open to ask. "Not that I'm in a hurry to get anywhere. I just don't want to be stuck without a way home."

"Well, in case she doesn't found anyone for the job, I could take a look at it," Ty suggested. "This baby right here hasn't been running smooth all these years either, so I've sort of learned a thing or two", he chuckled and caressed the wheel a little to show his truck some affection. He had bought it when he had been in his early twenties, and so far they had had a good run already. Sure there were more practical trucks out there, but Ty had weakness for classics. It had been love at first sight. "Classics like this, they look nice and all, but you have to know what you're getting yourself into when you buy one. The gas, fixing, new parts… She's high maintenance. But she's worth it."

"She? What is it about personifying your trucks you men find so gratifying," Amy laughed, amused. She supposed if you had one as long as some people did you went through a lot with it, developed a sort of relationship where you had to figure out the quirks and how to properly handle it. Still, it was a truck.

"She," Ty emphasized and shot a glance at Amy, "is like a lady. A beauty that needs to be handled with care." There was a smile on his face as he considered it. "And as long as she's satisfied, I'm satisfied too."

Raising an amused brow, Amy nodded."Well, if you want the job, you can have at it. I can't say I'll be of much help, though." She knew next to nothing about the mechanics of vehicles except how to change a tire and even then she'd sooner just call for a tow.

"Okay. Well, drop by anytime you want. You know where I live now. And if you need help with towing, I can come and give a hand," he spoke and adjusted the rear-view mirror when the sunlight hit the surface and nearly blinded him. "I suppose I should give you my number," he figured and started to lean toward the glove compartment. Remi tried to lick his face, but he gently pushed the dog back using his right shoulder.

"No," he commanded her. "Sorry", Ty apologized when his hand brushed Amy's knee. "I'll need something from here."

"Oh." Amy shifted, trying to move her legs over to the side to give Ty some room to open the glove box. Her hand moved to rest over her knee where Ty's brushed it as she watched him retrieve what he needed.

Ty's hand kept scrabbling the insides of the glove compartment while he tried to keep his eyes on the road and the wheel steady. He frowned as he groped different kind of objects, wondering why he even had all that stuffed in there, and tried to find what he was looking for.

"There should be few in here… somewhere," he murmured.

Amy's eyes shifted from Ty to the road. It was deserted but with her luck they'd drift in the other lane just as the first truck for miles peeked over the oncoming hill. "Uh, do you want me to-" She started to offer to look for him so he could pay attention to his driving, but a moment later he touched something thin and creased.

"Ha, here." He took out a business card and kept it between his fingers as he proceeded to close the glove box. Ty then handed the card to Amy and glanced at her quickly. "Here's my contact information."

"Thanks." Amy read the card he handed her with a little graphic of a chair. He actually was Mr. Fix-It, or maybe more of a Bob the Builder. "You're a carpenter." Ty nodded. He did work with his hands, as Amy guessed earlier when they first met. "Well, that'll come in handy with renovating that Hanley farm."

"I guess. I mean, that was what I was hoping, but I do realize furniture is a very different thing than an actual house. But you know, you can't just get stuck doing one thing. You have to keep things interesting," he spoke and passed the truck. He checked its plates. It was an old habit he had had ever since he had been a teenager and he had tried traveling the country as safely as he could by hitchhiking. Ty had tried to remember them if any trouble would occur. Sometimes it had become handy, like the time he had met Kerry-Anne. Every once in a while he still expected her to sit in one of those trucks, waiting to be rescued. But some time ago Ty had promised himself that he would look no more. She was gone and that had been her choice.

"No, but you have to start somewhere, right?" Amy knew where Ty was coming from, having spent nearly twenty years of her life in one place before she ventured away for college and to see what else was out there. But roots were important and it seemed that you could never truly leave them behind.

Ty nodded and half-smiled, still lost in thought. It always caught him off guard whenever Kerry-Anne entered his mind unexpectedly, triggered by some random thing.

Amy held onto Ty's contact card when he dropped her off back in front of Maggie's, showing him she still had it as she climbed out. "I'll give you a call in the morning? To let you know when to expect me or… uh, my truck."

Ty leaned in to see her better and held Remi back, so the shepherd wouldn't follow Amy. The dog had made a new friend and wouldn't have minded more scratches.

"Okay," he smiled. "Hear you then. Have a safe night."

He lifted his hand from Remi's coat to wave Amy goodbye, the blonde smiling and doing the same, as Ty shot one last glance at her. He had not expected to feel so normal around this woman. She was beautiful, which was usually enough to make Ty nervous, but the fact that she was also smart, witty and easy-going almost made him miss her company already.


	7. Chapter 7

It was around late morning by the time Amy flew out of bed, changing her clothes at warp speed and nearly tripping herself in the process of pulling on her jeans. She hadn't meant to sleep in, even went to bed early so she'd be well rested, but it seemed her thoughts hadn't had a 'Snooze' button and kept her awake long into the night. Mostly it was what her plan was after getting her truck fixed. Did she keep on this journey to self-discovery that didn't seem to be leading her anywhere, or just pack it in and return home? It had only been two days, but already Amy was doubting that she'd actually be able to find whatever the hell it was she thought she was looking for. She thought moving to the city solved that the first time, but it crept back up on her over the last couple of years and once again she was left feeling lost, or stuck, or… something.

Shoving her wallet into her pocket, Amy turned to dart out the door, only to have to stop halfway and swing back around to swipe her phone and Ty's business card off the dresser. Swinging the door closed, Amy stepped out into the warm Alberta air. She paused to take a deep breath of it then smooth out the creased business card Ty had given her the night before. She punched the number into her phone. Holding it to her ear, she shoved the card in her pocket and broke into a jog across the motel parking lot and up the sidewalk. "Ty? Hi, it's Amy Fleming." Her words came out in huffs of air as she rounded the corner toward where she'd left her truck the day before. "I am so sorry. I meant to call earlier but I overslept and didn't have a chance to call the tow yet."

"Don't worry. Where are you? I mean, did you stay in a hotel somewhere?" Ty talked to the phone, wondering how Amy's voice sounded different than he had remembered. He leaned against his red tow truck and sipped his coffee from a thermos. Unlike Amy, Ty had had an early start, not because he would have been in a hurry to get anywhere, but because he had a furry alarm clock that licked his face when she wanted something to eat.

"I stayed just around the corner from Maggie's. I'm… shi-" Amy fumbled for the phone as it slipped through her hand, catching it before it hit the ground. This didn't at all seem like it was going to be a good day already. "Sorry. I'm on my way to my truck now. I just need to get the number for-" She paused when she was a few vehicles down from her own. "the tow," she finished, lowering her phone from her ear as she stared dumbfounded toward her truck.

Ty saw someone from the corner of his eye just as Amy's voice became louder. She was no longer on the other end of the line, but few feet away, standing under Maggie's sign and holding her phone with a surprised look on her face.

"Well, that was fast," Ty still kept talking to his cell even though Amy was within hearing distance and her phone was hanging low in her hand. Ty pushed himself in an upward position and walked toward her, pressing the end key to finish the call. "You were saying?" he asked and slid the phone into his pocket, then shifting his eyes back to Amy.

"I, uh…" Amy glanced from Ty to the tow truck he was just leaning against. "Nevermind." Flipping her phone closed she pushed it into a free pocket of her jeans and continued forward at a walk this time. Well, that just saved her some trouble of getting a hold of someone else to haul her truck out to Ty's place. "Carpenter, mechanic, tow man… what else do you do around here?"

Ty chuckled.

"I run this place," Ty joked. "No, but seriously, I was on my way to town anyway, so I figured I'd just use my tow truck, save you the trouble, in case you'd happen to call while I was here, since it's getting so late already…" he gave her a meaningful look, but wasn't mad at her for only getting to it now. Since Ty was his own boss, he could get up late and work through the night if he wanted, as long as he kept the deadline on the back of his mind.

"Hey, you offered." Amy reasoned with a small laugh, though she did feel bad about having kept him waiting. She was usually up early, sometimes with the sun, but all of her traveling the last two days left her pretty tired.

Ty laughed too and tilted his head to the left. "I can tow your truck to my place and you can come too, if you want and you don't have anything else to do." He figured she would like to keep an eye on her truck, because it was her way around everywhere and so much depended on it.

"Sure." Amy nodded. "It doesn't look like there's much to do here anyway." She wasn't really planning to tag along, not wanting Ty to feel like she was breathing down his neck or hovering impatiently, but it was that horse in his field that made her glad he offered. She was curious about him - the horse. Well, and maybe Ty too, but mostly the horse and what exactly Ty planned to do with him.

"Okay then. Let's get your truck on the road", he said and waved her to follow him.


	8. Chapter 8

Ty had parked Amy's truck in front of his workshop where he had all the tools he ever needed for everything. Like she had said, he was the type that liked to work with his hands - and apparently save damsels in distress, too. But it was what he had done for a long time now and probably one of the few things he knew he was good at. Ty also liked the quiet, it gave him room to think. For a man with such an uneventful present, he had a very colorful past to keep his mind occupied even to this day.

"Yeah, I can see what the problem is. I don't know how much you know about trucks and how detailed you want me to be on this, but you're gonna need a new part for it," Ty said and wiped his hand to an oily rag as he walked over to Amy who was leaning against the door of her old Chevy, staring out toward the black horse in the field.

For a while she watched Ty fiddle with things beneath the hood, turning the key for him a few times while he checked this or that, but her lack of expertise in this area made her pretty useless and rather bored. So she kept herself busy by studying Spartan, who wasn't doing much of anything except grazing and swishing his tail at flies, occasionally wandering to a new patch of grass or giving his onyx coat a shake. That too was pretty uneventful and more prone to put anyone to sleep, but he had Amy's mind pulled in and tuned right to him until Ty spoke up. "Well you could try to impress me with all of the technical lingo, but let's just assume I'm not mechanically inclined and won't understand." She smiled, brushing a few loose strands of hair out of her face to tuck behind her ear in the slight breeze. "So, this part: how long do you think it'll take to get and replace?"

"I'd have to check online. That's the fastest way to get one," Ty said. "But if they have them in stock, it'll probably take about four days, give or take. If not, might take longer."

Four days? Amy stared at him. She wasn't very truck savvy but did know that if she'd been back home they could have had the part delivered that same day and she'd be ready to go by the next. Once again she was reminded of just how far from the city she traveled and how out of touch she was with her country roots. "Well, I guess I don't have much choice, seeing as that's my way out of here," Amy sighed, not really upset about being stuck in Hudson, but more with the fact that she didn't have a way to get around. It wasn't so bad in the city when everything was within walking distance or a short SkyTrain ride away, but around here you needed your own mode of transport whether it be a truck or horse, and at the moment Amy had neither.

Ty turned his gaze at Spartan. He had noticed that Amy's eyes had been fixed on the horse almost ever since they had got back here with her truck. It was like she was studying him, even though it was easy to take in everything you could see of him within minutes since he didn't move around much.

"You interested in horses?" he asked and nodded toward Spartan.

Amy looked back toward the horse, hesitating a moment before she lifted a shoulder. "I used to be. I grew up around them, but when I moved to the city I had to let that part of my life go. Vancouver's not exactly prime horse country unless you're a cop." Amy tipped her head toward Ty with a smile and slight lift of her brow before returning her gaze to the gelding again. "I was just wondering what you plan on doing with him. I don't imagine you can just leave him out there forever."

"Good question. Have to admit I don't really know. I'm hoping there's something I can do, but like I said earlier, I don't really know anything about horses," Ty said and watched how Spartan moved to find water to drink from an old tub Ty had taken to the field. "I suppose I could talk to the vet again, ask if he knows someone, like a horse expert or what do you call them, wranglers, I think," he soon recalled. "I don't wanna sell him either, unless I know they are gonna take good care of him. Don't want him to end up in a meat truck unless there is some other way."

He had somehow grown attached with Spartan, even though they had not been off to a good start. There was something tragic about a horse left behind, something that he could relate to. People often said animals were just animals, they were not human and therefore you shouldn't get your feelings mixed up with them, but Ty couldn't help but feel some sort of connection with this gelding. The horse had no way to make his voice heard, so he figured he could try to do that for him. Spartan was getting better, physically at least. Now he just needed help to overcome his demons. He needed someone to have faith in him.

Amy had to agree that a meat truck was an absolute last resort and even then she'd sooner just leave the horse out there in the field than resort to that, but she was raised with the understanding that not all horses could be saved, no matter how hard you tried to help them, but the comfort was in trying and knowing you did everything you could.

"Well, you'll never be able to sell him if you can't even get near him." From the look of it, he'd never even be able to get him out of the paddock to sell him. She continued to study the horse a moment before sighing, already feeling like she was going to regret this decision but just wasn't able to let it go. "If you want, I can try to do something with him. It's been a while and I can't guarantee anything, but there's no harm in trying, right? Besides, I need to do something to keep me busy until my truck is fixed."

Ty looked at the horse and then back at Amy. He kept repeating Amy's proposal in his head. It did sound ideal and if he would have been a fool, he would have said "yes" right away. But he knew Spartan and he knew that he wasn't just going to let Amy get herself killed just because she offered him what seemed like an easy way out.

"I don't know… I don't feel good about letting you close to him. When I said he was dangerous, I wasn't kidding. You could get seriously hurt," he repeated the point he had made many times already.

"Maybe, but so could any vet or wrangler you might call out here." His concern was understandable, but what Ty didn't seem to realize was that she knew more about what she was offering than any vet or horse expert around probably did.

Removing her eyes from the horse, Amy shifted her body to face Ty head on. "You say that horse needs to regain his trust in humans. So maybe we can start by setting an example for him with you trusting me and giving me the chance to see what I can do." If anything. If she even had that same intuition her mother claimed she possessed all of these years and it hadn't disappeared when she sealed that part of her life away.

Ty looked down at Amy. She was a little bit shorter than him, but somehow her stance must have made her few inches taller, or Ty was just not comfortable having people so close to him all of a sudden, because he had to take a step back to keep himself comfortable around her.

"Uh… okay. But I want that on paper," he pointed a finger on her, "where it says you understood the danger you were about to set yourself in and that you take full responsibility with whatever it was you were about to do. Because I'm not going to jail because of that horse. Or you, for that matter."

Ty's abrupt change in demeanor startled her as she listened, confused, and even a little bit insulted, as he told her how it was going to be. Her face fell into a resentful frown, not appreciating his tone or the fact that he was telling her what to do. "That's a little extreme, don't you think?" Jail? Amy didn't understand what that had to do with trying to help his horse, but it wasn't hard to figure out that maybe that's not exactly what he was referring to. "I'm just trying to help. If I get hurt, then that's my own fault. I'm not some horse crazy girl who thinks that just because she rode a few times at summer camp she knows everything. But, if you don't want my help then fine, give me a lift back to town and call me when my truck is fixed." Stepping away from Ty, Amy strode over to his truck and climbed in, shutting the door with some force.

Ty sighed and realized how he might have come off. He waited a while, picked himself up and walked over to Amy. She stared ahead, her gaze hard and her mouth pressed into a thin line, not bothering to acknowledge his presence.

"Sorry about that…" he started off. "It's just…" Ty wanted to tell her everything, but was afraid he might scare her off - and besides, why would she even care about what he would tell her in the first place. "It's hard to prove we made some kind of agreement if he smashes your head in and your family sues me for it. I don't think you are thinking too highly of yourself, you don't seem like the type."

After clenching her jaw, Amy swung her eyes around to scowl at him. "But I seem like the type to blame others for my own stupid mistakes?" She snapped at him, feeling like this was the same argument she had just one too many times.

For Ty it felt like this was coming from someplace else than just from what they had just talked about. He couldn't figure out what to say, so Ty thought he would just leave it for now, since he didn't actually know Amy at all or if this whole argument was even worth fighting over. Maybe he would seem like a jerk to her, but he didn't have anything to lose. It was not like he would have been seeking out Amy's help, so he was still in square one with Spartan. Nothing had changed.

Ty pulled his keys from his pocket and ordered Remi to stay before getting into his truck. He sat there for a while, sighed, and then started the engine.

"I'll drop you off and give you a call when the truck is done", he just said and headed back to the town.


	9. Chapter 9

Amy sat back in the seat, staring out of her window, still fuming over their altercation though didn't really know why exactly she was so upset over it. They didn't even know each other and it was his horse to do with what he pleased. The only reason Amy was even there was because he offered to fix her truck and he'd invited her to come along. She could have just stayed in town, maybe hung around Maggie's and kept Soraya company for a while and found ways to keep herself occupied. Instead, she chose to seek other company, and, okay, maybe to be a little nosy, too. But, she'd only been offering to take a closer look at his horse and Ty acted like she was trying to pull some sort of a scam. Amy had no idea where he got that from 'let me see what I can do' but no matter how it came about, his reaction struck a nerve. All he had to say was 'no'. Granted, that might not have been enough for Amy to back down, but it would have worked a lot better than his chosen approach. Now, they were stuck in an uncomfortable silence while Ty honored her request to take her back to town where it would probably be best she remained.

Ty parked his truck back where it had been earlier that day. He turned the keys to stop the engine running and sat there, staring ahead for a while until he shifted his eyes toward Amy.

"Look, I didn't mean to upset you or make you feel like I was blaming you about something. I've been hermitting in the woods for a while, I don't know how to act around people," Ty explained, causing Amy raise her brow with a slight shake of her head, thinking it was a pretty weak excuse, as she continued to stare out of the window. "I wasn't blaming you for my problems, that's not what I was trying to do. I was trying to keep you safe. It was nice of you to offer help, since I think we can both agree that Spartan needs it. So, thanks for that."

He didn't expect Amy to say anything else, but he had been going back and forth with what he would say to her before she would leave throughout the drive. It had started to feel like he had to say something, not because of himself but because Amy was a nice girl and she didn't deserve to be hurt by his lack of social skills.

Amy didn't think he meant to sound patronizing, but he sort of did in that moment by trying to tell her he just wanted to keep her safe. If she was worried about being safe, she wouldn't have offered to work with this horse he claimed to be unmanageable, never having met the horse or any idea of what she was getting into. Maybe Ty was seeing her as reckless with some sort of death wish because, really, who in their right mind would volunteer to put themselves in danger like that. But she knew what she was doing. Or, would have hoped she did, but he didn't necessarily need to know that.

"It's fine," Amy answered after a beat of silence, casting a sidelong glance his way but still refraining from looking him head on. She realized it wasn't her place to argue. If he didn't want her near the horse, then she had to honor that. Honestly, he was probably doing her a favor. She didn't really need to go dredging up her past, even though it was obvious that old habits never did truly die. She saw a horse in need and wanted to see if she could help. "He's your horse and you don't know me so for all you know I could be out looking for a decent pay day. Although, I don't know what kind of psycho would get themselves killed for money, but, whatever." She tried not to be rude, but her tone was a bit sharp as she shrugged dismissively, shifting to grab the handle and make her escape. "Anyway, thanks for the ride."

Ty couldn't help but wonder what he had set off in Amy to have a reaction like that. Or maybe he was just too dumb understand how people worked.

"Hey…" he tried to stop her before she left. Amy paused with the door partway open, her body turned away from Ty as she made the move to climb out, but remained just inside the truck to hear him out.

"I don't know about you, but I'm pretty hungry. Could I interest you in Maggie's burgers? One of the best burgers in the country," Ty tried to soften the offer with a smile. "My treat."

Sighing, Amy's eyes rolled toward the sky. She was hungry, but not enough to try to endure sitting through a whole meal with Ty. Especially not when it would more than likely be spent in an uncomfortable silence. Glancing over her shoulder at him, she could see his attempt to convince her with a light smile, Amy guessing his way of an apology.

"You should probably use that money on the parts for my truck. See you," she declined gently, sliding out and closing the door.

Ty's smile dropped as he saw how Amy got out of the truck, without setting another glance at him. He sighed, took out the keys and stepped outside. Well, even if Amy wasn't interested in having burgers, he was still hungry and would go to get himself a bite.

As he was heading to Maggie's, Ty noticed his eyes still followed Amy when she made her way to her motel. It took him a little while to realize what his body was doing on its own and he shook his head to snap out of it.

Resisting the urge to look back, Amy kept herself occupied as she headed down the street by fishing her room key from her pocket. She forced her eyes on the sidewalk ahead of her until she rounded the corner and the motel came into view. The idea of closing herself up in the small room just about made her turn around and accept Ty's offer after all. However, Amy's legs continued to carry her to the door with the brass number five. Pushing it shut behind her, Amy leaned back against it. Now what? She asked herself, staring into the plain room. She was still stuck there in town until her truck was running again with virtually nothing to do until then. She was used to the fast-paced living of the city. Always having something to do or somewhere to go and very rarely spending more time than necessary in her apartment. She didn't know how to be idle.

Amy moved away from the door to set her key on the dresser, digging into her pocket again for her cell. Ty's business card slipped out along with it, dropping to the ground at her feet. Amy gazed at it, folded over with that little picture of a chair staring back at her. Shaking her head, Amy bent down to pick it up and toss it absently on the dresser with her key before she climbed onto the creaky queen bed and reached for the television remote. Amy didn't watch television often unless it was having the news on to fill the silence of her apartment. This time was no different as she flipped on the local news station out of Calgary. The weather report was on, holding Amy's attention for those few minutes to see what the next four days would be like in terms of her figuring out what to do with herself. But those few minutes came and went, then leaving Amy's mind desperate for stimulation and her stomach rumbling for sustenance. She had thoughts of wandering back down to Maggie's to grab something to eat, but ultimately decided to just order in a pizza and maybe try to find a movie or something on TV to watch. As she was flipping through the phone book to find a place that would deliver, there was a knock at the door.


	10. Chapter 10

Ty walked through the diner door and scanned the place quickly before entering properly and making his presence known. Every time someone came in, a decent pair of eyes shot glances toward the door, making sure no one brought in any trouble. Sometimes there were whispers, but it seemed like people had moved on when they hadn't come up with any new gossip to tell about him after the stories about Kerry-Anne no longer sparked any interest. It had been a relief and allowed Ty to enjoy Maggie's more these days. He had missed the food and the atmosphere. If he fooled himself hard enough, it was almost as if the place made him feel like home.

Ty walked to the counter, still moving like an alarmed animal until Soraya swung open the kitchen door and noticed him lurking around.

"Hey, Ty," she greeted him, holding two chicken baskets in both hands. Ty took a seat and smiled her way.

"Hey."

"You here to eat?" Soraya asked and then served the baskets to hungry customers, telling them to enjoy their meal. She took out a notepad and a pen from the pocket of her vintage apron and walked behind the counter.

"Yeah. I would like to have something to-go."

"Okay, can I get for you?" Soraya's pen was already pressed on the paper, while her eyes were on him.

"Two burgers, two fries and two pops," Ty said. "I guess Coke would be okay."

"Two burgers…?" Soraya checked. Her eyes were full of questions and it made Ty uncomfortable. He laughed lightly, feeling a blush on his neck.

"Yeah, two burgers," Ty just echoed.

"You really hungry or is Remi getting a treat today…?" Soraya joked.

"Nah. It's the girl you sent my way," Ty explained. "But don't get any ideas," he added quickly.

"You've been cooped up in that house of yours for months with that dog and without any company. A girl comes to the diner, you promise to show her around and all of a sudden you're ordering two burgers. Now, why would I get any ideas?" Soraya smiled and exchanged money with Ty.

"It's an apology," Ty commented. Even though he was friendly with Soraya, he didn't want to tell her too much, because he felt embarrassed about the whole thing and didn't want to make himself a fool in Soraya's eyes too. "I guess I was sorta rude to her and I was hoping I could offer her some of our famous Alberta hospitality."

"Oh, alright," Soraya said with a tone that didn't give room for speculation.

"It's nothing. She's a nice girl and I'm a jerk, that's it."

Ty didn't want Amy to have any kind of reputation while she was staying here - against her will on top of it all - and he didn't want to hear about this years later, because once Amy left, things were gonna go back to normal and this meeting with her would turn into a distant memory that he didn't want to think about while lying in bed at night and wondering about all the people he had done wrong.

"Okay, two burgers, two fries and two cokes coming right up," Soraya listed and took a hint about leaving him be before returning to work.

Ty stood behind a door that had rusty old 5 on it. He had asked from the desk if they knew about a blonde young woman staying in the motel, because he was fixing her truck but had forgotten to ask her number. It was an excuse of course and the clerk probably saw through him, but Ty didn't think Amy would answer her phone if he had called her now. And besides he didn't even know what to say. He was hoping the meal would be a good peace offering and then that would be it. A move so bold in this town they probably started to gossip about him again in the diner.

With the phone book open in her lap, Amy stared at the door, wondering who on earth would be knocking for her. Closing the book, she pushed it off her lap onto the bed and stood up, straightening her shirt as she made her way around the end of the bed. If it was anyone, she was going to assume it was the manager in need of something even though Amy was paid up until tomorrow when she'd have to go back and tack on an extra few days to her credit card - something she was not looking forward to doing. Pressing herself quietly against the door, Amy peeked through the peep hole to see who it was, taking a step back when she saw Ty standing there. She had half a mind to just ignore it, but the television was on and surely able to be heard on the other side.

"I don't care how good you think you are, there's no way you finished my truck already," she said after opening the door. It had barely been a half an hour since they parted ways. That wasn't even enough time for him to make it back to his house.

Her eyes lowered to the bags of what she assumed was food from the drinks he held in a carrier in his other hand. "What is that?" Maybe she hadn't been clear enough when she told him to keep his money for her truck.

"I'm good, but not that good," Ty's lips widened into a smile, but he was nervous underneath his act. He studied Amy's body language and it seemed like she was still hesitant around him - not that much time would have passed since they had seen each other, but Ty was still hoping they wouldn't have to part ways under these circumstances. "Actually… this is sort of like room service," he said and handed one of the bags to Amy. "I hope you're not vegetarian or anything. And even if you are, there's at least fries and pop."

Amy took the bag hesitantly with one hand while holding onto the door with the other. Would it be rude of her to thank him and close the door? Probably. Though she told him she wasn't interested in getting dinner with him, here he was. Quite persistent in his quest for an accepted apology. Honestly, Ty didn't have anything to apologize for except maybe being a little rude and over the top earlier with Spartan, but apparently he felt it was important to make amends and for Amy to shut him down a second time would be in poor character.

A light smile pushed up the corners of her mouth as she looked down and sighed silently in defeat. "No, I'm not a vegetarian." Throwing a look over her shoulder into the minimally furnished room, she tried to figure out how their eating arrangement would work because, frankly, she wasn't sure how comfortable she was with the bed being their table and not for fear of dropping food on the hideous floral comforter. "I hope you don't mind eating on the floor, though. There's no table," she told him, opening the door wider as she stepped aside to invite him in.

The look on Ty's face would have probably made a memorable Kodak moment when he realized Amy was inviting him in. He looked over her shoulder to the room, wondering how the saying "the way to a man's heart is through his stomach" also seemed to apply to women.

"Of course not. It's actually a nice change not to have so much furniture around me for once," he joked and stepped in. The room wasn't very big and had a smell that would have made a great competitor to the smell at the Hanley house, but Ty figured that as long as she had a roof over her head, Amy probably didn't need much else during her stay.

"I haven't been in one of these for a while," he commented and looked around. All the classic motel elements were there: the tacky wallpaper, horrendous curtains and a bed that probably made sounds whenever you would move a muscle.

"Trust me, you aren't missing much," Amy replied, shutting the door behind Ty. There was nothing glamorous, or even appealing, about staying in a motel.

"How are you enjoying your stay?"

Amy moved to grab the remote and shut off the television, always finding it rude to have it on when eating when there was company over. However, felt the total opposite on those nights when she ate alone and wanted the company. "It's not bad for such a small town," she answered with a small shrug of one shoulder. "Kind of reminds me of where I grew up, actually," she added, folding herself down onto the floor and setting the take-out bag aside to reach up for the drinks so Ty could join her without the risk of them spilling.

Ty bent his knees and lowered himself on the floor too after handing her the look of the room might have been dated, but at least the place was somewhat clean: Ty wouldn't have found eating on the floor so okay otherwise.

"Where did you grow up then?" Ty felt like asking, hoping they could get rid of the awkwardness that was still hanging in the air. "I thought you said you were from the city?"

Amy kept her attention focused on getting the drinks from the carrier, though she heard Ty's question. "Not exactly," she answered vaguely, handing him his soda before pulling her bag of food in front of her, giving her something else to focus on instead of letting Ty see the discomfort and slight sadness in her eyes. She called home Vancouver, but it had only been so for the last eight or so years. Heartland was her real home. It was supposed to be a place where scars of the past were healed, but for Amy they were only cut deeper.


	11. Chapter 11

_"I don't know what I'm doing!" Fifteen-year-old Amy called from the center of the round pen._

_"You're doing fine. You have a good instinct, just follow it."_

_"He won't do it." Amy threw the rope at the horse again to keep him moving. She'd watched her mother do this a dozen times before. She made it look so easy, with almost instant results, but it just didn't appear that Amy had that same talent. She was never going to be able to do what her mother did._

_"Yes, he will. Just be patient. He can sense your frustration. Just take a deep breath and focus." Marion's voice was calm and gentle carrying into the pen. Following her mother's guidance, Amy took a deep breath and tried to get her frustration to melt away, relaxing her shoulders and making her movements more fluid. She took a step in the horse's path, causing him to come to a stop, turn on his heels and take off in the other direction when she waved the rope at him._

_"Good." Marion commented, studying the horse just as Amy was, watching for those first little signs that he was ready to join-up. After another few laps it was there. The ear nearest her was tuned right to her, listening, waiting for further direction. It gave her a new burst of determination as she stepped up and changed the horse's course again. Another few laps and his head became parallel with the ground._

_"Ease off him now." Marion said. Amy stopped driving the horse around, allowing him to slow to an easy trot. She kept her eyes locked on him, her shoulders square with his, but she didn't chase him, letting him slow and come to a stop all on his own. He turned in to look at her, making chewing motions with his mouth._

_"Turn around," was Marion's almost silent command. Amy did as she was told, turning her back on the horse. She stared at the dirt at her feet, her ears straining to listen for the horse to come to her. It was only a few seconds, but they seemed to drag on for an eternity before Amy could hear his feet kicking through the sand. A chill ran down her spine when she felt his whiskers tickling the back of her neck and his hot breath on her skin. With a grin spreading wide across her face, Amy slowly began to turn around, digging a peppermint out of her pocket as she saw her mother do every time._

_"Good boy," she praised, offering him the mint before taking a few steps forward and waiting for him to follow. She zig-zagged and circled around the pen, stopping in front of her mother with the horse's nose right there at her shoulder._

_"See? I told you you could do it." Marion said, moving to open the gate as Amy put the horse's halter back on._

_"Yeah, but this is just Sundance. I doubt I'll be able to do that with a real damaged horse." It was different since Sundance was her own horse and knew he had no reason to be afraid of her. To get in there and try to do that with an already damaged horse could end in disaster if done wrong._

_"You never know until you try, though, right?" Wrapping her arm around Amy's shoulders, Marion gave her a squeeze and kissed the top of her blonde head. "I'm still so proud of you."_

"I moved to Vancouver for university and just decided to stay," Amy continued. She had no other home to go back to, so what was the point. "But before that I lived on a ranch," she finished, digging into the bag of food Ty brought. It did smell pretty incredible. She was already appreciating his persistence.

"A ranch?" Ty asked before sinking his teeth into the burger. He kept his eyes on Amy as she nodded and popped a loose fry into her mouth. The way she talked about it was careful, as if she was worried Ty would become too nosy if she revealed a detail that could lead into a the bigger picture.

"Oh, well that makes sense," he said, his mouth half full. "The way you looked at Spartan and what you said about trying to help him." Ty felt like an idiot - more than he already did. If he had known this earlier, he might have been more open to the idea of Amy helping the gelding.

Though, now that he had his foot in her door - or more like in her room - he didn't think it was all that bad after all.

"Do you miss it then? Living in the country, I mean."

Amy's eyes shot up to him, that former look of insult peeking out. "Did you think I was lying when I said I wasn't just some horse crazy girl who didn't actually know anything?" Maybe she was wrong to assume Ty would realize she'd been around horses before since he clearly asked if she was interested in them. Then again, he admitted to not knowing how to act around people from being so isolated out there in the woods. Maybe she'd been too hasty to immediately jump on the defensive then, but now she knew she was.

Amy could hear the sharp edge to her voice and lowered her eyes. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound like that." Her voice was softer then as she tried to push what happened earlier out of the way. Otherwise, it would continue to fuel a fire that didn't need to burn. "I do miss it. Sometimes," she answered his question finally, civilly. She then busied her mouth with eating to keep from having to say anymore.

Ty slowed down his chewing and washed the food down with a sip of Coke before trying to figure out why he seemed to come out as a jerk to her.

"I didn't think you would lie, but I just thought it would take a miracle to get through to that horse. And I stopped believing in miracles a while ago. It's nothing personal, it's just me. But maybe I need to witness one to regain my faith in them again. So, if you really wanna give it a go, you're free to try," Ty said, hoping that they would find some kind of middle ground with this. He didn't like upsetting Amy again and again.

Amy nearly choked on the bite of burger she just swallowed and reached for her drink to help it go down all of the way before speaking. "Really?" Amy asked, still not totally sure if she believed what she was hearing. Ty nodded. He would just have to keep his fingers ready to call 911 if needed.

"Okay, but I wouldn't start counting on that miracle just yet. I haven't actually seen how bad that horse is, yet." Hearing Ty say he was unmanageable wasn't a lot to go on and watching the horse shy from her earlier was only a small indication of his distrust of humans. She had no idea how deep that went, or if it was even capable of being helped. "Wait, you're not still going to make me sign a ridiculous waiver are you?" She asked, eying him suspiciously. Considering such documents were standard in the horse world to avoid liability issues, Amy honestly didn't have an issue with signing one. It was just the way Ty had demanded it that turned her off of him and the whole idea. Truthfully, they'd both be stupid not to have one in case something did actually happen, but no matter what Ty might have thought of her, Amy wasn't the type to sue other people for her own stupidity.

"I know it sounds bad and I really hope it's just gonna end up being a piece of paper, but… yeah, I might just want you to do that. Because I'm taking you seriously. It's not just a friendly request, I'm offering you an actual job", Ty explained. "I wouldn't ask that from "a horse crazy girl", I'm asking that from someone who would take the job professionally."

It definitely sounded a lot better when he put it that way, but it was weird to think of helping Spartan as a job. Helping horses wasn't her job. It had been her mother's and at one time Amy might have hoped for it to be hers too, but things changed and so did dreams. "Is that how you still do things out here with the barter system? You fix my truck, I help your horse?"

"I guess sometimes, yeah," Ty nodded, finding something about her way of pointing out things amusing, especially when she made the people of Hudson sound so old school. He knew they were, too, but he only realized it better because of the comparisons Amy kept making.

Ty had never thought of himself as someone who would end up living in the country, but he was now settled down and surprisingly - he liked it here. And for the first time he was seeing himself in a way no one else had ever seen him, all because he was looking at himself through Amy's eyes: what he had become, through all the trials and tribulations.

"But, there are some things to clear up before we get that far. Like if you're even still interested helping Spartan in the first place."

He took a bite of the burger and let his eyes rest on her, wanting to see her reaction.

Did she still want to do it? Amy had been serious before when she offered, but after the whole thing just collapsed she ended up relieved that she probably dodged a bullet. It had been a very long time since she interacted with a horse at all except for a trail ride one summer when she'd been on vacation. Even that brought back a lot of painful memories. Was she ready for the ones Spartan would bring?

Amy delayed having to answer by stuffing her burger into her mouth and taking a large bite that she needed to take the time to slowly chew while she mulled it over. Standing there watching the horse earlier stirred something in her that she hadn't felt in a long time - a desire to find out if she still even had "the gift" her mother claimed she possessed. Amy never had the chance to really work with the sort of horses Marion did, but she spent hours upon hours just watching, soaking it all in, and had kept all of the journals with her mother's notes and remedies for various ailments and behavioral problems. They were back in Vancouver and of no help to Amy here in Hudson, but so much of what Amy learned didn't come from a book. She couldn't in good conscience leave that horse out there when there was the possibility that she might have the ability to help.

"I want to try anyway. Like I said, I can't promise a miracle, but if you're willing to let me then I'll sign your waiver and see what I can do." Setting her burger down, Amy wiped her hands in a napkin before extending it out to Ty to settle the deal with a good old fashion handshake. "Deal?"

Ty looked at the hand and found himself smiling. He wiped his own hand too, hoping to clean it from the mayo that kept leaking between the wrappings and whatever was left of the oil stains he had tried to get rid of earlier.

"Deal."

He gave her a firm handshake.


	12. Chapter 12

The next day, Ty picked Amy up from the town so they could get started with their deal. He had already bought the part she needed for her truck online last night and while waiting for it to arrive, he would use this time to assist Amy with Spartan as much as he could. Ty knew next to nothing about horses, but as the official owner of Spartan, he felt obligated to be on top of his status as this process was about to unfold.

Amy's eyes drifted to the gelding in the field as soon as Ty pulled up in front of his house. There seemed to be some invisible line he didn't dare cross as he lifted his head to watch them. She never saw him any closer than where he currently stood, which was actually further away than he'd been yesterday.

"So, first things first," Ty started when he stepped out of the truck and commanded Remi to jump out by using a hand gesture, "do you want some coffee? I have the papers inside for you to sign."

He felt nervous about letting anyone inside. It had been a while since he had done thorough cleaning and everything was pretty much where he happened to lay them down at given times. Ty had tried to do some cleaning before going to bed last night, but in the end he had realized the place was just pure chaos. Even if he would wash the dishes and make a pile out of old newspapers, it would still look very unorganized. If Amy was to spend some time here because of Spartan, she would soon come to realize just how "bohemic" his lifestyle was. So, who was Ty to pretend to be anything else if the truth would come out eventually.

Amy climbed down from the old classic truck, tearing her eyes from Spartan to look over the hood at Ty. "Sure, coffee sounds nice." If her budding nerves were any indication of how this day was going to go she was going to need something a lot stronger than coffee, but caffeine would be a good start.

As she followed Ty into his house, her focus began to shift away from the horse in the field to the home she was about to enter. She wasn't exactly sure what she expected to find inside, but her curiosity to learn a little more about this man and his seclusive way of life was buzzing.

Ty opened the door for Amy, even though Remi trotted in before her, and then gestured the woman to go in first.

"Don't be shocked. I was inspired by the Hanley house so much I tried to turn my house into a replica," he tried to joke about the mess so Amy wouldn't think he wasn't aware of it or thought people were just as unorganized as him. "No rats or mold, though. They were short on those."

Amy paused in the doorway for a brief instant to turn and look at Ty a little hesitantly, uncertain of what she was going to be finding on the other side of the threshold. "Okay, now you're making me nervous," she joked, stepping in anyway. It couldn't be that bad. And it wasn't, not really. Amy took into account the facts that he was a guy who lived alone and most likely spent more time out in his workshop than in his house as she looked around the small part of the house she saw before they were in the kitchen.

"It's not that bad. My apartment has been worse." Her blue gaze trailed over the mess on the kitchen table to the full sink. "Your sink certainly reminds me of home," she commented with a teasing grin. She was rarely home enough to be able to clean and when she was she just never bothered until it just got out of control, or she got tired of trying to eat with her fingers from a napkin.

Ty laughed at Amy's subtle sarcasm.

"Well, it was a trick - I got you expecting the worse and in the end you were positively surprised by this mess," Ty explained and walked next to the table where he had laid down two pieces of papers and a pen. He had already signed his name under the terms that he wanted Amy to agreed to as well.

In short he had typed that he would let Amy work with Spartan as long as she wished and if she wanted to stop at some point, she was free to do so. There was also a part where it said that they had talked about the possible dangers Amy might face during the rehabilitation and therefore she was completely aware of them, yet decided to proceed anyway.

"So, here it is. Take your time reading it. If you wanna add something, let me know. I can print out another copy. I'll make the coffee for us," Ty said and moved to the cabinets. "It was Fleming, right? Not Flemming?" he had tried to recall her last name from Maggie's to write under the line where her signature would be.

"Right, just one 'M'," Amy answered, moving around the table to pick up a copy of the formal agreement Ty had written up.

_The hired has been fully briefed on the horse's condition and temperament and understands the potential risks and consequences involved with close physical contact._ Something in the back of Amy's mind sent a sense of dread seeping through her veins as she finished reading. What the hell was she getting herself into?

Picking up the pen, Amy slid into the chair at her side and added another small clause. The client agrees to give the hired complete trust in all training decisions, regardless of personal opinion, and promises to keep an open mind even in the face of inevitable adversity. Amy didn't anticipate this going smoothly, so she needed to know that Ty wasn't going to pull the plug or try to change her methods when he saw something happen that he didn't like. What she did was what she did, and he had no say in that. "Okay, read this and initial next to it and then I'll sign." She handed him the changed draft to look over while she copied the added clause onto the second copy.

Ty took the paper from Amy in the middle of coffee making and read quickly what she had added. He went over it twice and then looked at Amy with a pondering look on his face.

"Wait a minute… what kind of methods are you thinking of using…?"

The sentence had raised a little red flag and Ty's protective side. Amy seemed like a sweet girl and in no way dangerous, but Ty had to be sure that her training decisions didn't include ways that could injure the animal. He had heard stories about cruel methods to make horses do what they were told, without taking into consideration what the animal actually wanted or could do. "I'm only asking because I've never trained a horse in my life and I don't know how it's done."

Amy looked up at Ty's uncertain expression. She saw her mother's clients give her that look all to often when she talked about her alternative training methods and therapies, except Ty's tone of voice seemed to indicate something more severe.

"A lot of trainers teach horses to do what they want them to do - to be obedient - but what I'm going to try to do is help Spartan realize on his own terms that not all humans are bad. It's more like therapy. He's got to decide to trust me for himself, I can't force it from him. And if he can learn to trust me, then that's a big step in the right direction. But that's why I told you not to expect miracles, because it's going to take time and it might be a while before you see any progress." It might also take more time than what Amy had here in Hudson, but if she could get Spartan at least part of the way there then Ty should be okay to carry on himself as long as he followed her instruction.

"Oh, okay," Ty nodded and let himself think about it for a minute. What Amy had explained to him sounded good, but he still needed to figure out if he was willing to do this after all. He didn't want to see the horse suffer, but was keeping him from help causing him more damage than giving Amy a chance?

"You wouldn't happen to know where I could buy lavender oil, either, would you?" she asked as a sudden afterthought. Her mother's journal was out of reach, but there were a few things she could remember from her time helping her and knew that she used lavender oil quite a bit to help calm nervous and tense horses, especially those who suffered trauma.

Ty's eyes returned to Amy and he felt confused about why she would all of a sudden need lavender oil. Or more likely, why she thought of asking him.

"I might not be the right person to ask, but," the thought of him knowing something about oils besides the ones he used for trucks was amusing, "you could try asking Soraya, you know, the girl from the diner? I guess she might know better. Maybe they even sell some of those in Maggie's. Haven't really checked. Why are you asking? You thinking of opening a massage parlor as a side business?"

"No, but I'm sure they would use it for the same purpose." She laughed softly. "It's a calming extract. Aromatherapy? It works the same on horses as it does people. I could always make some, but I don't have the recipe for it and I think it takes a few days to infuse." Damn, she needed those journals. "It's no big deal if we can't find it. It's more of a supplementary thing." Some drug stores carried it and there had to be one in town, but from how minimalist this town was, she wouldn't hold her breath to find that kind of fancy stuff among the Band-Aids and Ibuprofen.

"Are you going to initial that or am I just wasting time explaining how I'm going to try and help your horse?" She nodded toward the paper in his hand.

"Oh, sorry, yeah - sorry," Ty shook his head after getting lost in the conversation. "It's fine by me," he said and flicked his fingers toward the text. "I mean I stand by my signature." He handed it back to Amy who traded him for the second copy so she could sign as well and they could finally get passed the formality of it all.

"So, aromatherapy, huh?" he then went back to the topic. "I didn't know they used that on horses, too. Like I've heard some people use it on themselves, but— Actually," he then recalled, "there's this old lady, she lives alone with her pony in the middle of the woods and she sells honey and jam at Maggie's. I've sometimes heard her talking to Soraya about some… herbs, or something. I don't know if that's any help, though. 'Cause like I said, I'm clueless when it comes to things like this."

Amy's interest peaked when Ty mentioned this lady. "It might. Do you know how to get in touch with her? It can't hurt to see what she has." And if she had a pony as Ty said, then maybe she knew a little something about herbal remedies, too. The one problem they were facing was time. Amy had until Ty finished her truck before the only reason she had to stay would be this horse, but who knew how long it could take for her to treat him. Certainly not three days. It could take her mother from a week to a couple of months to treat a horse before it was ready to go home depending on the situation. So any assistance she could find, she would take.

"I don't think she has a phone or anything like that, I feel like she might be partly deaf, but I could ask Soraya for her address - or at least some directions. Maybe we could pay a visit," Ty suggested. He could recall Soraya almost yelling things at her when she had been asking about her honey and jam, but even then the old lady had not heard her correctly. Ty hoped that despite her possible loss of hearing, they could find ways to communicate.

"It's worth a shot." Amy finished copying the new clause then traded papers with Ty again to sign below his name. "Okay, are you satisfied now? There's no blood oath or anything I need to take?" She was kidding, of course, her expression reading as much as she folded up a copy of their contract to keep for herself, pushing it into the pocket of her jeans.

"Not this time," he chuckled. When Ty promised that was all he wanted and handed her a cup of coffee, Amy took it gratefully and sat with him at the table, Remi lying beneath it between their feet.

With their coffee cups empty and no other reason to be inside, Amy glanced toward the door. "Well, I guess it's now or never. Let's give this a shot."


	13. Chapter 13

As she'd done the day before, Amy stepped up onto the fence to lean into the pasture where Spartan had been grazing in the morning sun. His black coat looked dull even from there from lack of proper care. That wasn't Ty's fault, seeing as he couldn't get near the animal. At least the field was lush with grass and Amy could see where Ty kept a water tub full and available to the horse. He obviously drank from it, which would probably be the only time he ever ventured to this side of the pasture and Amy wouldn't be surprised if he waited until Ty was off the property or it was the middle of the night before quenching his thirst.

The black gelding was watching them warily. Amy watched his nostrils flare as he caught their scent. "I assume you had him vetted? Aside from the obvious anthrophobia and malnutrition, is there anything else wrong with him?"

"Yeah, the vet examined him. He was pretty weak when we found him, but as soon as he realized we were going to take him out of his prison, he suddenly became very lively…" Ty recalled as he leaned against the fence, letting his eyes study Spartan. Remi sat down next to the couple, eying the horse. The dog was curious about him too, but sensed that the gelding didn't want to be bothered.

Getting Spartan checked had been a nightmare. They had had to have five men there to make sure the animal wouldn't get hurt or he wouldn't hurt them.

"We had to use tranquilizers to get him into a trailer. The vet told me he had only done house calls with Mr. Hanley, so I think it's pretty safe to say the horse hasn't seen or been in a trailer before. And when we finally got him here…" Ty stretched himself up, shaking his head, "he pretty much bolted out of it and ran right there where he's been since. He has that shelter over there," Amy's gaze followed to where he pointed out the little shelter that was enough to give the horse some cover from rain and wind, "but I think he fears being locked up again and doesn't use it much. It's like he wants to be aware of his surroundings, like he's a little bit paranoid. Not that I can blame him. At the time his muscles were very loose, it was like they were hanging from his back like a bag of sand," Ty used his hands to paint the picture. "But he looks a bit better now even though I realize he still looks pretty horrible. The vet said that besides some mental problems and the malnutrition issue, he seemed, well, healthy as a horse. He just needs to get back in shape."

Ty looked at Amy, wondering if it was something she could work with.

As she listened to Ty speak, Amy's eyes continued to move over the horse. She couldn't see a whole lot from this distance, but it was easy enough to imagine from the things she saw at Heartland. Not every horse her mother treated had been loved and cared for. It seemed that Ty was having the opposite problem: he wanted to care for Spartan, but the horse just didn't trust him enough to let him - with good reason."Well, at least the grass is rich out here and it's not the middle of winter, but I think you should start feeding him some grain to give him a little boost in nutrients. Once we get in touch with that lady you mentioned, if she has anything that would be of help, it'll be the best way to get the herbs and stuff into his system, too." Ty nodded. More than likely Spartan wouldn't bother with it at first, especially if he saw one of them put it out for him, but Amy knew a few tricks to make the grain more enticing.

Removing her eyes from Spartan, they drifted over to land on Ty. "You know this is going to take more than the few days I'm here? Which means I'll get him started as much as I can, but he's your horse and you're the one he needs to trust, so you need to make sure you keep at it when I'm gone or you could be right back to square one." Amy did like Hudson. It was a cute little town, but it reminded her too much of home, which was a place she hadn't been in nearly a decade. She could stay to see Spartan's treatment through, but there was no telling how long that would take, or if it would even work, and she couldn't live in a motel forever. Eventually, she did need to go back home to Vancouver. The problem was she knew how easily she could get attached, which was something she was going to avoid at all cost. Amy left this part of herself behind for a reason and she wasn't looking to bring it back. Her time with one horse in exchange for a working vehicle was all this was going to be - a business deal.

"I rarely leave anything unfinished, so I will look after him and do what needs to be done. I don't wanna give up," Ty assured Amy. Scott, the town vet, had told him his intentions were good, but Ty also had to realize the realistic side of things: horses weren't just machines that had reset buttons for a new start. They were always attached to their past and sometimes that was hard to overcome if the past was covered in mist. Scott only knew some of the Spartan's medical history, but that was very little to go on with. Horses, like people, were all individuals, not just numbers and figures. The thing with animals was very few people could speak their language. Ty knew he wasn't one of them, but he was hoping Amy would have better luck getting him somehow started. "If you need me, in any way… just let me know. I honestly have no idea what I'm doing here."

A small smile played at the corners of Amy's mouth as she nodded. "Okay. Let's do this then," she said, climbing the rest of the way over the fence and dropping down into the field. "Just hang out here. I'm just going to get a feel for him right now. He's probably just going to run from me, but keep your phone handy… just in case." She'd seen horses go after her mother in the past, out of fear more than aggression, which was probably even more dangerous.

Ty nodded and fished the phone from his pocket. He could feel his heart beating faster. It was probably only now that he realized what they were about to do. There was part of him that wanted to ask Amy to leave the horse be, but only because Ty was scared that Spartan would do something to her. Eventually he decided to have a little faith in her and see what she had in mind.

Amy turned to face Spartan, remaining still for a few moments before she began to walk toward the horse. Her gaze dropped to the ground, keeping sight of the gelding in her peripheral vision, but communicated that she was of no threat to him. She moved toward him, but her body too was at a non-aggressive angle as she took one careful step after another. He began snorting loudly when she breached some invisible barrier, Amy seeing his head rise and his nostrils expand to reveal the pink inside of them. Taking another few steps, Spartan took the same away before he stopped and began to paw at the ground, his hooves digging up grass and clumps of dirt, warning her to keep away. She understood and stopped, fighting to keep from looking directly at the animal, lifting her head a little to get a better glimpse of him. He was watching her, every sense and nerve was honed in right to her.

Ty raised his hand a little and moved his thumb up on the phone, even though his eyes were glued to the scene. His throat was dry, his palms sweaty and his body was full of nervous energy. He could tell Spartan didn't like to be challenged like this and Ty could only hope that the gelding was just trying to scare Amy off in this passive way.

For a very long time Amy stood her ground and did not move. A muscle twitched in Spartan's shoulder before his head lowered a fraction and his ears flicked toward other sounds. That's when Amy began to move again, her steps just as deliberate as before. Realizing she was on the move, Spartan was once again on full alert. Amy stopped again to wait for him to be comfortable with this new distance that was getting ever shorter. Another step more and he most likely would have taken off across the field, but he seemed to be more curious about what she was doing than afraid. She was a human speaking his language. It was a strange concept for a horse who'd only ever been neglected, drugged, and man-handled, even if most of it was just to try and help him. He didn't see it that way. Now, someone was actually listening to him, backing off when he said.

Amy had no idea how long she was playing a game of stop-and-go with Spartan before she began to push that line he'd drawn for himself. His ears pinned back and his stance became even more aggressive despite Amy's relaxed and non-threatening position. Still, she was steadily advancing and he didn't appreciate it. It was a very fine line Amy was treading on and she knew it. Yet, she continued to test it. He began digging at the ground again, his neck arching. He looked like a wild stallion preparing for battle. Amy's heart began to race and her stomach twisted as she again stopped. She'd gotten so close she could hear the snap of his tail as he flicked it in agitation. She knew it wasn't going to happen today. As soon as Amy lifted her gaze, Spartan threw his head up and retreated. Just to see what he would do, Amy followed after him, herding him across the field until he was blocked in between her and the fence. That was when he took off flying across the pasture, kicking out at her as he shot passed, leaving Amy to turn and watch him go. She wasn't about to chase him back and forth across this field and turned to head back to the fence and Ty, throwing a few glances over her shoulder to check where Spartan got to, seeing him slow to a trot and finally stop to look at her again.

"He's certainly got some attitude," she commented when she was within earshot of Ty again. Ty was still keeping eye on Spartan, but seemed like the horse wasn't going to come near them. "But he was curious about me for a while there, so that's a good sign." Turning back to look out at the field Amy considered the space for a moment. "It would be easier if this field wasn't so big. It's a lot of ground for me to cover and a lot of space for him to run away. But, that just means that hopefully some bribery will work on him, too." Draping her arms over the fence, Amy fixed Ty with a sly little grin. "So, what are you up to for the rest of the day?"

"I- I…" Ty was trying to get a hold on of his thoughts, "I'm sorry, but that was… intense," he pointed toward Spartan without actually answering Amy's question. Her smiled slipped away when she finally realized how affected Ty was by what happened, which, to Amy, hadn't much much of anything at all. "I mean, I'm out of breath and I didn't even do anything," he laughed and even blushed a little. His eyes were watering as he let his gaze follow the horse who was still running around nervously. "Wow… Sorry, I just… I've never seen anyone doing anything like that. I mean," he kept stuttering, "I know people don't consider horses too dangerous, but… I've seen what he can do and while I was watching you standing there, I kept having those flashbacks of him in the barn and it was like I feared for the worst to happen."

"You just have to think about it all from his perspective," Amy started, stepping up to climb back over the fence to join Ty on the other side. "He was locked away in the dark for how long… then all of the sudden these strange people come and jab him with needles and force him into an even smaller confined space on wheels. You and I both know what you tried to do was for his own good, but all that horse understands was people hurt him. He's just afraid and he's trying to hide his fear with aggression. If you watched him, you could see he wasn't sure about what was happening until I had him against the fence. Then he felt trapped. If I would have closed in on him any more, I'd have gotten more than that warning shot he threw at me." The kick he aimed at her was no where near hitting any part of her as she'd still been several yards away from the horse, but the message was clear.

"You still okay with me doing this?" Amy asked, her gaze studying Ty as carefully as she just had Spartan.

"Yeah, of course," he nodded. "Just as long as you are. I'm just standing here after all." He looked back to Amy. It seemed like she wasn't even shaken up, like she did this every day and it was no big deal. "How come you were able to keep your cool?"

"It wasn't easy. My stomach was in knots, but it was just one of those things where I just had to focus on him instead of my nerves. Horses can sense fear and unease. I want him to want to trust me and to know that I won't let any harm come to him if he does, but if I showed him fear, then he'd be afraid too and why would he bother to trust me then?" Amy looked up at Ty, recalling the incident the day before when she asked him to trust her and it all just blew out of proportion. "Horses are a lot like people that way."

Ty looked at Spartan, thinking maybe he had not been so wrong about the connection with him and the horse after all. He needed to start trusting people again and give them a chance.

"You asked me about my plans," he finally got back to her, Amy looking at him with interest. "I actually have this thing, but what do you say we meet tomorrow morning, try to track down that old lady with the herbs?" Ty offered. "Maybe make sure you have enough alarms on before you go to bed…" he added, teasing.

"I'm never going to be able to live that down, am I?" Just to show him, Amy was going to be sure to be up and waiting for him before he even pulled into town tomorrow.

"Nope," Ty laughed a little. He felt more relaxed now.

"You can give me a ride back to town though first, right?" Amy wouldn't say she was a little disappointed, and didn't show it either, but it was there in the way her bubble burst at the thought of spending the rest of the day finding other ways to entertain herself. If she had her truck it wouldn't be so bad and she could run the errands she wanted for Spartan on her own, but then since she'd have her truck she'd be able to be on her way. The walk would probably be a good way to kill time, but she would prefer not to have to make that trek down the long deserted roads on foot and as much as she would like to spend time with Spartan, wasn't so sure how she (or Ty for that matter) felt about being left on his property alone.

"Of course. Come on," he waved his hand toward his truck.

With a last lingering look toward the gelding who had settled down and resumed his grazing, Amy stepped away from the fence and walked with Ty and Remi back to his truck.


	14. Chapter 14

_"You think this is it?" Kerry-Anne asked and looked at the yard. Ty was sitting behind the wheel, holding a piece of paper that had an address on it and scanning the view. A little wooden house stood in front of them, right next to a small hut. The house wasn't too old, but poorly kept and it looked haunting in its state. The plants had pretty much taken over the yard and by the looks of the grass that was unpressed, the car that was next to the hut had not moved for few days. Everything was still. It was almost like the wind wouldn't dare to move anything so nothing would crack._

_"Well this is the address I have," Ty said and unbuckled his seat belt. _

_"You sure she's at home?" Kerry-Anne asked and eyed the house suspiciously. "Looks like no one's inside." There was no smoke coming out of the chimney or lights on the window._

_"We'll go check," Ty decided and glanced at her. Kerry-Anne looked at him, not being too keen about it._

_"Didn't you say she's not feeling well? Are you sure she wants to see a complete stranger coming into her house if she's—"_

_"You can stay in the car if you want. But you know we have to ask for a place to stay. I used our last money for the gas, so the motel is out of the question," Ty said, grabbing his leather jacket in case he got cold, and then taking the keys and stepping out of the car. Kerry-Anne remained seated, but started to bite her lip nervously while considering what to do. Staying behind didn't seem like a great choice either. _

_"Ty, wait!"_

_She opened the door and got out of the classic blue truck, adjusting her backpack's straps on her shoulders as she slammed the door shut. She still looked around, not knowing how to feel about this country estate. The drive all the way to Calgary had not been kind to their backs or legs, so maybe it was good to walk around for a little while. And maybe the refreshing mountain air would do wonders for her health._

_Ty walked to the porch and went straight to the door, not even waiting for Kerry-Anne. He reached out his hand to knock, but then hesitated. It had been years since he had seen his mother, but when he had called her back from Ontario, she had sounded weird, absentminded and somehow… "not herself" was probably the best way to put it. Who knew how she had changed while Ty had not been around, especially in a new place and after her husband's death, but something was definitely off with her - more than could be expected. Ty could not live his life without knowing she was alright where she was at, even though they had not always come along so well._

_Finally, Ty knocked on the door. He let out a heavy breath and looked at the porch to get the nervous energy out of his body. It looked like the porch could need some fixing before someone got themselves buried under the collapsing roof._

_Kerry-Anne walked to the other end of the space and peeked in from one of the windows. They were dusty and it was dark inside, but she could tell the television was on in the living room. The faint blue light was giving it away._

_"The TV's on," she informed Ty. He looked at her. _

_"Hey, come here," he asked. Ty felt wrong about letting Kerry-Anne stalk her mother like that, even though part of him wanted to do the same. The girl walked up to him and waited for someone to come open up the door._

_"Maybe she didn't hear your knock since the TV's on," she suggested. "Let's try again."_

_This time she did the knocking. Her knuckles slammed against the door with more power, almost making Ty's knocks seem like he was scared that his mother might actually hear him. "That's called knocking," she even commented._

_After a little while they heard steps and saw a shadow moving behind the screen door. The other door behind it opened and Ty held his breath._

_"Who is it…?" his mother's voice asked. It seemed weak and cautious._

_"Mom… It's me. Ty."_

_There was a silence. _

_"Ty…?" she stepped closer from the darkness. Ty could see her now, but she hardly looked like the mother he recalled. Her clothes seemed too big for her, probably due a heavy weight loss, her skin was more loose and there were circles around her eyes. The woman who used to love dressing up in flowery summer dresses and looked so beautiful with just some blush on her cheeks and mascara in her eyes, had not even bothered to comb her hair now. Ty tried not to look as shocked as he felt._

_"Yeah… I've come to see you," Ty said and nodded. Ty's mother opened the door carefully, putting herself out by taking only one step. Her hand was still resting on the door, as if she was ready to lock it again if the situation demanded it. Kerry-Anne looked at the woman, now knowing why Ty had seemed so worried._

_"Hey, you must be Lily. My name is Kerry-Anne. I'm Ty's girlfriend", she took charge and reached out her hand so she could shake it. Lily moved her eyes to Kerry-Anne, looking at this young woman who seemed like she had been on the road for a while._

_"Girlfriend…?" she echoed. "Ty didn't tell me she was seeing someone."_

_"Well, actually—" Ty tried, when they shook hands, getting caught between the two women. Lily's grip was weak and Kerry-Anne almost felt like she was hurting her by squeezing the hand._

_"It's kinda new, that's probably why," Kerry-Anne spoke. She grinned, then glancing at Ty with a meaningful look. Seeing his mother's face lit up when she used the word "girlfriend", Ty almost felt bad about correcting Kerry-Anne's statement. He then quickly decided she could think Kerry-Anne was his girlfriend, for now. Chances were they weren't gonna stick around too long anyway until Ty would be out of the door again, leaving his mother behind after some argument they had already had million times before._

Spending the afternoon familiarizing herself with the town hadn't been as bad as Amy anticipated. She was right in thinking it wouldn't take her very long to see everything, but she came across some interesting little shops and boutiques she'd spent time browsing through. She lingered at Maggie's Diner for dinner, finding a friendship budding in Soraya, whom Amy learned was the owner's daughter and manager. With nothing else to do, Amy assisted the girl in closing up and even joked about maybe picking up an apron and earning a few extra bucks while she was in town between her time working with Spartan, which was something the other girl found to be interesting, asking Amy all about the deal she struck with Ty. Amy took it as natural curiosity, but she could see the wheels turning behind Soraya's grin and that was around the time Amy bid her goodnight and turned in.

True to her unspoken word, Amy was up before her alarm the following morning, dressed and out the door well before the time she and Ty set on meeting. Maggie's seemed to be Hudson's hotspot, aside from the bar just down the street a ways, and was already bustling with early morning patrons when Amy arrived. She loved the smell of diners in the morning - fresh brewed coffee and sizzling bacon. Amy slid down onto an empty stool at the counter, quietly perusing the menu until Soraya appeared, placing a coffee mug in front of her to fill up. "Pretty happening place this morning," Amy commented, closing the menu and taking an appreciative sip of the hot java.

"It's like this every morning, though it seems worse some days when one of the waitresses calls out and I need to do the work of two people," Soraya replied, turning to set the pot back on the machine to keep warm. "So… are you meeting Ty again today?" Her voice changed as she asked, waiting to sink her teeth into some bit of gossip or girl talk.

Amy smiled, though didn't quite understand why Soraya was so fascinated with the idea. "Yeah. There's some things we need to get to help with Spartan. He mentioned an elderly woman… uh… she brings honey and jam in here."

"Oh, Mrs. Bell. She's a sweet old lady, old being the operative word. She lives up off Teak's Hill, just before the turn to Clairdale Ridge," Soraya explained, though seeing Amy's totally clueless expression laughed softly and added, "Ty will know where I'm talking about. How is she going to help with Spartan?"

"Well, there are some herbs and things that we can use to help calm his nerves and maybe make it easier get close to him. It's kind of hard to work with a horse you can't touch. Ty thinks she might have something we could use." Amy hoped so. She'd try to work with Spartan either way, but it would take longer and make her job harder if he was neurotic and jumpy the whole time. Soraya seemed to agree that if anyone had what Amy would need it would be Mrs. Bell and wished them luck before taking Amy's breakfast order and going back to make her rounds with the coffee pot.

When Ty finally arrived, Amy turned in the stool. "Good morning," she said brightly, in a far better mood than she'd been the last couple of days. "How did your thing go yesterday?"

Ty was about to say good morning to Amy, until she brought up "the thing". That made him smile nervously.

"Oh yeah, it was— It went well, I mean," he stuttered a little and then checked his watch to change the topic. "What's this? I'm a little bit early, but not as early as you. Are you just eager for us to be on our way or weren't you able to sleep knowing you'd see me first thing in the morning?"

Ty raised his finger when he had an eye-contact with already lingering Soraya. It was as if she was trying to eavesdrop. "One coffee, thanks."

Amy's brow creased a little at Ty's strange behavior, but didn't ask what exactly it was he had to do seeing as it wasn't her business. Still, his reaction was curious and his abrupt change of topic obvious, but Amy just went along with it. "Don't flatter yourself," she teased, turning to pick up her coffee again. He wasn't totally wrong, though. "I wanted to prove to you that what happened yesterday was just a fluke." She took a sip from her mug. "And since we're both early, we have more than enough time to have breakfast." She patted the empty seat beside her for Ty to sit.

Ty laughed a little and sat down, adjusting his long legs so he wouldn't fall off from the round chair.

"I was beginning to wonder if it was just a dream after all," he said and pulled his wallet from his pocket so it wouldn't press against his thigh uncomfortably. "Breakfast sounds good though. I was thinking of getting a sandwich to-go anyway, but now I can have the whole deal." The breakfast they served at Maggie's was luxurious compared to Ty's bacon and canned beans. Yes, the beans were still a thing.

"So, how was your night? Did you get crazy?" he joked. There was hardly anything to do at Hudson and he thought she had made the same observation too while staying at this god-forsaken town. That's why Ty was happy to have his workshop, otherwise he would go all different kind of crazy.

"Crazy? Me? Hardly. Not unless you count walking to my motel alone in the dark. Almost used my pepper spray on a poor unsuspecting cat."

Ty laughed about it and imagined the whole thing happening.

In the city it was never wise for a woman to walk alone at night in certain areas, but there were always people around and Amy never felt threatened or uncomfortable. Here in Hudson, the whole town went quiet by eight o'clock except for the bar down the street and Amy had never felt so edgy taking the short walk around the corner from Maggie's to the motel. It was almost too quiet, but Amy could appreciate the solid night sleep she got without being woken by the sounds of a city that never slept.

"How was Spartan this morning?" Of course that would come up eventually, Amy curious to know how their session the day before effected him, if it did at all.

"He was…" Ty wondered if he would sound too optimistic or even deluded by saying it, "I don't know if I imagined it, but it felt like he was standing closer to the house. Like he was curious to see more than just the back of the field. I think you might have spiked his interest when you burst his little bubble."

"Maybe, but I guess we'll see later on." Working with a horse was tricky. They seemed very black and white, but one misstep and all the work put into them could be blown to hell.

Soraya came by to have their order. Ty still wondered about Spartan. Amy would be gone in three days or so and he was supposed to continue what she had started. Ty had faith in her and the abilities she seemed to possess with horses, but was three days really enough for them to even get close to Spartan and make the horse trust that their intentions were not harmful to him. Ty felt embarrassed about the way he had let the horse be treated, even if it was for his own good.

"Do you think horses can hold a grudge?" he then asked.

For a moment Amy remained silent as she considered his question. "Only if you let them," she answered, turning her head to look at him. "They can remember people - their smell and their voice - and they know the ones who hurt them, but fear doesn't have a filter. When you're afraid, you're just afraid. It doesn't matter if there are people trying to help unless they prove they aren't going to hurt you. Spartan is no different. We need to show him he can trust us and prove to him that we won't hurt him… I don't think he's holding a grudge against you, but leaving him alone in that field gave him no reason to want to trust you." Amy paused when a new thought popped into her head and she turned her body toward Ty again. "It's like you two are a couple after having a fight. Instead of apologizing and trying to right your wrongs, you just walked away and let it hang between you. Now you're both waiting for the other to make the first move, but this time it's going to have to be you."

Ty looked at Amy for a long time before making any kind of attempt to reply. He was considering her words carefully, because something about them was almost invasive - but Amy probably didn't even realize it.

"I guess you're right. I never mean to…" he coughed a little, trying to get rid of the choked up feeling, "leave people or things behind, but… I guess that's basically the story of my life. Leave or be left behind. Maybe it's time to change that."

He was too afraid to look at Amy, almost as afraid as he was about facing the past through this, so instead he nodded to Soraya who returned with his coffee. Ty was pretty sure he could feel Amy's stare on him just by seeing her from the corner of his eye, but he wasn't going to check if he was just making it up. He realized he had to give some kind of personal input to this rehabilitation project with Spartan, but Ty still had hard time knowing how to keep it all together.

Amy studied Ty carefully, something she was beginning to realize she did quite a bit - as if Spartan wasn't the only one who needed help. He and that horse had a lot more in common than they wanted to admit. But Spartan was a lot easier to figure out than Ty, who became defensive and evasive any time Amy seemed to get close to discovering something about him. However, that behavior told her enough to keep her analysis strictly about the horse. "Well, you didn't exactly leave him behind. You could have left him to die in that barn, or had him put down. Instead you chose give him a chance, but now it's time for him to give you a chance."


	15. Chapter 15

Ty couldn't remember the last time he had been in this part of the town, but he could tell why no one else probably went there either: the country road was horrible to drive and Ty kept fearing it would break his truck down if this Mrs Bell lived any further. Soon they would be couple of truck-less people in the middle of nowhere if the road wouldn't give his GMC any break.

Just as they were about to reach the cottage, Ty was almost losing his hope for ever finding the place Soraya had instructed them to go. For a while Ty and Amy just sat there in the truck, listening to the silence.

"She actually lives here…?" Ty said out loud after he turned off the engine. "She's pretty old. What if something happens to her," he worried and took out the keys. "Okay. Let's go see if this really is the place."

Amy's eyes surveyed the property, catching the full flower beds and busy bird feeders. For an old woman she certainly seemed like she was still doing okay for herself and got around well enough. "I'm sure someone comes in to check on her from time to time. At least there are people who know she's out here." If no one else, the mailman would come by daily, or at least a few days a week if he bundled her mail for her rather than have to travel that road each day.

Climbing out of the truck, Amy led Ty around the side of the house to locate a door, picking their way around various lawn decorations and gardening tools. "She can't be too old if she keeps up with the place like this," Amy commented when they stepped onto the porch, her eyes catching a few green sprouts in pots lining the window sill. "Look, mint," Amy said, pointing toward the pots. "That's a start. And a good sign we're in the right place, although…" glancing over her shoulder, Amy again took a glance of the property. "I don't see a pony or even a place to put one." Which was odd. Even if he was just a little thing he'd still need a place to run free and shelter.

"True," Ty hadn't even thought about it until Amy brought it up. "Maybe there's a stable nearby where she keeps the pony. Although I'm not sure why anyone else would live this far…" he muttered to himself. "This place looks amazing though," he had to give it to the old lady. "She must be in better shape than I am to keep this all blossoming and so… lush."

It was like something out of a storybook. The smell of flowers was intoxicating and the wind chimes created magical soundtrack along with the birds that completed the perfect image of this small paradise on Earth. Ty noticed the cottage was old, but it was charming in its own way. Mrs Bell had used creative ways to fix what had needed to be fixed and the little additions made Ty smile a little bit.

"She might be almost deaf, but I think it's safe to say that everything else is working perfectly for her," Ty commented.

"Excuse me…?" an old voice interrupted their little expedition. Ty turned around and saw a small lady walking from a greenhouse, holding a watering pot. Her hair was snow white and messy, hidden mostly underneath a big sun hat. All of her clothes were full of different kind of patterns - stripes, flowers and balloons -, which made the combination look like an outfit a scarecrow would wear.

Ty recognized her from the diner. "How may I help you two?"

"Hello. We are actually looking for you," Ty said and turned to her, speaking louder than usual and articulating his words better. "You are Mrs. Sally Bell, right?"

"The last time I checked," she nodded. "What's this about?"

Amy stepped up then to explain their situation, hoping they hadn't upset the woman by trespassing and coming up without calling first, though Soraya mentioned she probably wouldn't have heard the phone anyway. She didn't look upset, but that didn't say much until they stated their business. "We're sorry to bother you. I'm Amy and this is Ty." Though it was probably obvious who was who, Amy still pointed them each out. "Soraya - from Maggie's Diner? - she told us where to find you. We, well Ty, kind of has a horse problem."

"You know I'm not a horse trainer, dear." Mrs. Bell replied. "But what kind of problem? I may have some things that could help. You know some flowers and herbs have been proven to have remarkable therapeutic properties."

Amy smiled, glancing up at Ty. Success. Ty returned her smile and felt relieved. Maybe things we starting to really move on, after all.

"Yes, yes I know. That's why we are here, actually. I'm trying to help Ty's horse, but I could use a little remedial help. He was trapped in a barn for a long time after his owner died and he's skittish and hard to get close to. I was hoping that some-" Amy stopped when Mrs. Bell raised her finger to begin a thought.

"You'll need Star of Bethlehem to help with the shock, and maybe some Sweet Chestnut, and of course Lavender, perhaps some Aspen…" She seemed to be off in her own little world then as she set her watering can down and gestured for them to follow her.

"I guess this wasn't a wasted trip after all." Amy said quietly to Ty before stepping down off the porch to follow Mrs. Bell toward her herb garden. Without her mother's journals Amy was at the mercy of her own memory, which wasn't very sharp anymore when it came to all of the alternative therapies she once used. She could only recall her mother swearing by Lavender and Valerian and Rescue Remedy, which was a blend of herbs that Amy couldn't remember individually anymore. The fact that Mrs. Bell seemed to know exactly what each herb was used for was both surprising and relieving.

"I guess so," Ty nodded and followed Mrs. Bell's footsteps, gently brushing off whatever bush was scratching his arm at the time as they went deeper into her garden. "It's not that I wouldn't have trusted those things, herbs and stuff, to actually be a real deal, but… I guess I'm just surprised how much I don't know about the things that I'm surrounded with," he talked to Amy when it seemed like Mrs. Bell was mumbling things to herself, not really caring if they were following what she was going on about. She smiled, knowing that Ty wasn't the only one to doubt these alternative therapies. Not many people believed in them, or had the patience for them because they didn't have immediate results.

"I think I need to pay more attention to everything around me from now on, not just live inside my own little world. Just because I wasn't meant to end up in here, doesn't mean it couldn't be a great place to live in for the time being."

After Amy's arrival, a lot of things, that had just been laying there, had started to move forward. Like they had been waiting for the right time, right mindset or right force to push them on. And somehow Amy had been the right fit. Ty saw his life like something of the Hanley House - all those old parts of the past were now coming out from hiding. And it was all because of her. Amy made him feel like he wanted to be more than just the weird, isolated carpenter guy who no one wanted to talk to - as if his tragedies would rub on them if they did. He had started to enjoy waking up every morning, going forward to these goals he was attached to now and actually having conversations about everything and anything with somebody who didn't care who he was. He didn't want to be forgotten anymore. And as great as that was, it scared him a little, too. What would happen when Amy would leave? It was going to happen and maybe it wouldn't be a big thing for her, but it meant a great deal to him.

Brushing a branch out of the way and ducking around it as they continued following the elderly woman, Amy turned back to look at Ty. "How did you end up here then?" She never really took a moment to consider where exactly Ty had come from, though it was obvious he hadn't grown up in the area. He seemed to have established himself well enough with a house, a business, and taking on the Hanley project, so she figured he'd been there long enough to start planting his roots. From the time she spent with him over the last couple of days, she gathered that his past wasn't a bright and happy one, but it took her until that moment to consider that maybe he ended up in Hudson in a similar way Amy had. That maybe he'd been out looking to start over and this was where he landed.

Ty glanced at Amy and felt his walls coming up again. For a minute there he had fooled himself to think that maybe Amy would not care about his past, or if it ever came up, she would be fine with it all after seeing he was nice enough guy. Right now it might be too early for that kind of acceptance, he thought. What if he scared her off before they would be able to help each other? Ty was't too worried about himself, per se, but he was getting more hopeful with Spartan's future and it would be a shame to ruin it all just because of his scary past. Amy could be the horse's last chance.

"Oh, uhm…" Ty tried to figure out what to say. He didn't want to lie, but he wasn't too keen on telling the truth either. Not now. "It's kind of a long story."

He was hoping Mrs. Bell would just interrupt them and the topic would be forgotten for now. That's why Ty's eyes kept going back to the old lady, as he was trying to latch onto any sign that would show him her focus was back on them again.

Trying to have a conversation with Ty about anything that didn't land on neutral ground was starting to seem impossible. She didn't want to talk about her past and it wasn't hard to figure out that he didn't either, but how long could they talk about the weather before it wasn't enough? Spartan was one conversation that seemed to tread right into both of their lives. He brought out pieces of Amy's life she tried to ignore for so long, but through them she was able to read a few things about Ty as well. But it was those things on the outside that made her wonder just what might be hidden beneath. The problem with that was she was gone in two days, so what would be the point in trying to break through Ty's shell if their contact would cease as soon as she was on the road. She learned how quickly he became defensive, seeing him start to raise his shield then when she asked her question so casually. Amy didn't want these last few days to be tense between them while she was trying to help Spartan. Not only would it be awkward for the humans, but would probably carry on through to the horse as well and hinder her ability to get through to him. That was her goal here. The horse, not Ty. She just had to try and remember that.

"Aren't they all," Amy replied, not bothering to press for more. Her story was a long one, too, so she could understand Ty's reluctance to share. Instead, she redirected her attention to Mrs. Bell. "Looks like you grow a little bit of everything, Mrs. Bell. It's a beautiful garden," she said loudly for the older woman to hear.

"Thank you, dear. I have a little of everything. Never know when you might need something or other," she answered, breaking off sprigs of various plants and handing them off to Amy and Ty, Amy recognizing the growth and shape of the herbs from the drawings in her mother's journal. When their hands were full of various herbs, Amy asking for others as they weaved their way along the narrow paths, taking them for just in case purposes, they returned to the little cottage.

"I have some money in the truck if you want any compensation for the herbs, and your help of course. We apologize for interrupting your day."

"Nonsense. It's what I grow them for. Besides, I do enjoy having visitors. It's not often I get them. Just be sure to come by for another visit and tell me how things are coming with that horse."

Amy threw a glance at Ty. "Um, I would love to come back, but I'm only here for another couple of days. Just until my truck is fixed. I was only passing through, but I'm sure Ty will fill you in on Spartan's progress."

Mrs. Bell seemed confused for a moment, looking between the young people. "Oh, I'm sorry. I was under the impression you two were a couple."

Amy was startled and suddenly lost for words. Them? A couple? Ty was about to comment Mrs. Bell's assumption, but Amy opened her mouth first. "No, no… no… we're just working together… f-for the horse." Her eyes drifted to the pots still sitting in the windows, latching onto them as if they were a lifeboat. "Um, do you mind if we had some mint, too?"

"Absolutely, help yourself."

Handing her bundle of herbs to Ty, Amy entered the small cottage to gather some mint leaves. Ty's eyes followed her, but he couldn't move otherwise. He felt like he was a statue all of a sudden. So this was how the rumors got started. Soraya had joked about them already and now Mrs. Bell was talking about her take on things. Who knows what else people were talking about. Ty felt defensive because of Amy. Not only did she not need to be associated with a guy like him, but she had seemed so uncomfortable about Mrs. Bell's words, that he didn't want her to be caught in the middle of a rumor mill while she was staying here. She was already here against her will, there was no need to make it even harder for her.


	16. Chapter 16

_Ty left his mother's bedroom, pressing the door gently close. He let his hand hover over it for a while, as if to make the sounds somehow quieter, before he let go of the knob and his shoulders fell from relaxation. She was finally asleep. Having him there had made her excited and the chances of her going to sleep had seemed impossible. That's why Ty had sat beside her bed, listening to her crazy ideas that would never happen. But the thing was, he had learned not to show his pessimism, so instead he just nodded and told her the things she said sounded good. It was one of those nights again. He didn't know if this was worse than the other way._

_"Wow, is your mom some kind of drug dealer or something," Kerry-Anne walked to the hallway, holding a various set of pillboxes in her hand. Ty's eyes widened when he saw what she was holding and he rushed to her._

_"Shh! Quiet. And what the hell are you doing? Are you going through my mom's cabinets?" he grabbed the pills from her. Kerry-Anne allowed him to take them from her grasp._

_"Chill. It's not like you'd never go through the bathroom cabinets in a new house, right? I was just looking for something for my headache," she lied._

_"Well… these are not it…" his voice was cracking when he walked to the bathroom and put the pills back to their place._

_"Is there something wrong with your mom? I mean, what do you use Lithium for? I think it's for depression, right?" Kerry-Anne asked and leaned on the frame of the door, keeping her eye on Ty when he made sure the labels were facing him. His eyes went through them quickly, seeing weird words he couldn't understand and his mother's name in all of them. "Then why does she also have drugs for like… an anxieties and stuff? Isn't that a bit… I don't know, contradictory?" _

_"She's sick, alright? That's that," Ty closed the cabinet doors, taking some painkillers with him which he tossed on her as he walked pass Kerry-Anne on his way to the kitchen. "Not that it's any of your business."_

_"Oh, come on, Ty. We are boyfriend and girlfriend now, remember," she followed him, smile on his face, repeating the lie that they had told to Lily. He might have thought this all was scaring her off, but she was not unfamiliar with the dark side of the world. Kerry-Anne put the painkillers into her pocket as she kept on taunting him. "We should tell each other everything."_

_Ty started cleaning up the kitchen, seeing empty beer bottles and forgotten cooking on the stove. He sighed. So, nothing had changed._

_"Are you listening to me?" _

_"Just… there's a couch if you wanna go to sleep. I'll sleep on the floor," he tried to get her off his back. Ty didn't know what he had been thinking by bringing her here. They didn't even know each other. Not enough to let her know all his dark secrets, even if they were pretty much staring them both in the eye._

_"I'm not sleepy," Kerry-Anne's hands pushed through under his arms onto his stomach as she leaned in. Ty's movements slowed down and he closed his eyes. The pressure, feeling of another person on him felt good, as much as he hated to admit it. "You don't have to hide from me. You know we are both creatures of the night. That's what we'll ever be and the sooner we accept that, the easier the life gets for us. We can use that for our advantage."_

_Why did he keep doing this to himself? He was trying to get rid of that stigma, right? So why did it seem to follow him everywhere without him even trying? And why was it somehow kind of comforting as exhausting as it was too?_

_"So… can I help you?" Kerry-Anne offered._

_"The kitchen needs cleaning up…" Ty simply said._

_"Okay, let's get to it then," Kerry-Anne took a step back and rolled up her sleeves. She then stepped next to him and smiled. "…boyfriend." There was a grin on her face which Ty tried to dodge like a bullet. He took a sponge and started scrubbing, all while trying to ignore Kerry-Anne's way of drawing him in._

When Amy entered the house, she was startled to discover she wasn't alone. A small white appaloosa pony was studying her curiously. For a moment Amy thought she was hallucinating until the little guy walked up to nuzzle her hand and nibble at her pockets. "Well, hello there," she laughed, squatting down to the pony's level and scratching beneath his bushy forelock. "So, there's a pony here after all." Amy had heard of people keeping miniatures in their homes as guide animals. They could be trained just like dogs in assisting disabled people. They even had special sneakers they could wear so they didn't slip on or scuff up floors, but this was the first time Amy had ever met one.

Giving the mini a another scratch, Amy finally stood and went to pluck a handful of mint before joining Mrs. Bell and Ty back on the porch, her pony following along and wandering out the door behind her. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to let him out," Amy apologized, but had been unable to close the door before he sneaked through.

"Oh, that's all right. I only left Sugarfoot inside because when I went to come outside the little devil was still taking his nap and refused to be woken up. He's quite the grump if he doesn't get his daily nap." Mrs. Bell patted the pony's neck.

"Wait a minute. He was inside… the house?" Ty checked, holding the herbs like a bride waiting to walk down the aisle. He looked at the little white pony and then back at the door. There were so many questions he wanted to ask (like was it even legal to keep an animal this size in a house and could keeping a pony as a pet be very sanitary), but he felt like he might offend this sweet old lady with his questions, so he just remained silent.

This explained why they had not seen anything on the yard that would give away that Mrs. Bell actually owned a pony…

"Well, of course. Do you see any place for me to keep a pony outside?" Mrs. Bell asked Ty as if it were absurd of him to think Sugarfoot belonged anywhere but in the comfort of her house.

"Yeah, Ty. Where else is Sugarfoot going to live?" Amy played along, as if keeping a small horse in the house was the most common thing in the world. It made her bite back a laugh, but she couldn't fight off the grin.

Ty just huffed and shook his head as a smile spread on his lips. Amy and Mrs. Bell were both a little crazy.

This certainly turned into more of an experience than either of them bargained for, but the good thing was they were able to find what they originally came for.

They thanked Mrs. Bell and headed on their way again, Amy setting the basket she had given them to transport the herbs on the seat between her and Ty. The truck was already filled with the wide mix of aromas, Amy picking up a stalk of lavender and bringing it to her nose. She loved the smell of their flowers. "This is perfect. I'm glad you thought of her."

Ty glanced at her quickly, but soon returned his eyes back on the road.

"Yeah. I had not even thought about her for a while, so it was a good thing she suddenly came up from the back of my mind," Ty said. "So… do you think these are everything you need to help Spartan to relax a little?" He couldn't even remember the name of these herbs, but they sure smelled nice - nicer than the wet dog smell the car had absorbed because of Remi. "Or do we need something from the town?"

He then realized he had started to use the word "we", instead of "you" or "I". Seemed like in his mind they were already starting to become a team.

Amy peeked through the back glass at the couple bags of grain and a ground feeder they'd picked up from Maggie's on their way out this morning. "No. I think we're good to go." Hopefully their trip paid off and Amy was able to use the herbs on the horse. Some of them could be ingested through his grain or added to his water when made into an infusion, but there were others that needed to be massaged around the nostrils and inhaled. That was where the tricky part laid since they still weren't able to get close to Spartan. But if they could get him to eat the grain, then that was a start at least.

Amy followed Ty into the barn when they got back to his place, helping him make some room for the grain and herbs then ripped open the bags of grain and beet pulp. Since Spartan hadn't eaten anything but grass in so long, they needed to be careful to keep the portions small at first and gradually increase them.

Amy filled a bucket with beet pulp to soak in water before going to find a large stone to use as a pestle. "Here." She handed it to Ty then set some of the Star of Bethlehem and Sweet Chestnut in front of him. He looked at them all baffled. He didn't know what they were, let alone what to do with them. "Why don't you make yourself useful and crush these up to put in his grain."

Ty followed her instructions, but wasn't sure if he was even doing it right. Amy moved aside to give him room on the surface, taking the feeder and scooping some of the grain into it. She set it on the table then turned her eyes on Ty. "You can press harder than that." Ty stopped and looked at the herbs, wondering what she was after exactly. Stepping up beside him, Amy used her hand to scrape the flowers into a pile. She reached over to take the rock from him, her hand gliding over his fingers and making her jaw clench for a moment before she grasped the stone and demonstrated the crushing method her mother taught her. "See?" She handed it back for him to finish.

Ty froze up and found himself staring at Amy's face instead of her hands. He had missed the whole lesson on how to prepare the plants for Spartan when he had realized how close Amy was and how it was closer than anyone had been in a while.

"Uh… oh… okay," Ty took the rock back, wondering if he could act like he had been paying attention to her, just so he wouldn't get caught. He gave it a try and used more force than he had before.

"It doesn't need to be perfect," she assured him, taking a step back to respect their personal space again. She shifted the grain around in the feeder while Ty finished up, trying to keep her eyes occupied so they didn't wander to him instead. Ty on the other hand felt embarrassed with the way he was acting around Amy and checked if she was weirded out by it. But it had not slowed her down.

"That's good, you can toss them in here," she said finally, more to fill the silence that began to settle in. She held out the feeder for him to add the herbs, swishing it around again to mix them in with a few messy handfuls of the beet pulp then finally topping the concoction off with a few mint leaves. "Looks pretty good to me. What about you? Hungry?" She offered him the sloppy meal.

Ty laughed and wiped his hands together.

"Don't tempt me. Besides that burger and fries we had few days ago, I've been on a strict bean diet and that… mix of yours," he shook his head, not knowing how else to describe it, "is starting to look pretty delicious to me. I bet it's much more nutritious, too…"

Amy laughed but pulled Spartan's lunch out of reach just in case. "I'm sure it is." She began to walk with Ty out of the dim barn into the sunlight toward Spartan's field. "I can't say I've been eating much better being on the road. It's been a lot of fast food and gas station snacks, but I have an excuse. What's yours? Can't cook?" After moving out on her own Amy quickly realized that eating out every night or getting take-out wasn't a long-term option. Not only did she waste so much money on it, it wasn't a healthy life choice so she taught herself to cook. Not well, but enough to get by.

"Oh, I can cook. Horribly," Ty told her and followed her out. "I guess if I'd put my mind into it, I could maybe learn something simple, but mostly it's just because… well, I don't really see the point when it's just me eating, you know. To me cooking is an experience you wanna share with someone."

"I can understand that, but you know there's a lot more to the grocery store than just beans. Maybe I'll show you before I leave. Give you a little tour," she tossed him a teasing grin. Maybe she'd even go as far as making him dinner. Or at least teach him how to cook something easy to go with those beans of his.


	17. Chapter 17

_"Amy, what are you doing?" Jack Bartlett stood in the doorway of Amy's bedroom, watching his granddaughter pack away her life._

_"I'm packing. Classes start next month and I still need to find an apartment and a job…" She should have gone back to Vancouver with Lou and stayed to live with her while getting her affairs in order before she began university. It would have saved her all of this trouble._

_"It's a little late to be doing this now, don't you think? Besides, aren't freshmen supposed to live on campus?" Jack knew why Amy was in such a hurry to leave. It was the same reason Lou left immediately after the funeral._

_"No. I'm leaving tomorrow and freshman get first dibs on campus housing they don't have to live there if they don't want to." Amy set an armload of jeans into her suitcase. "Campus closes over the holidays so I'll need a place to stay anyway."_

_"You can always come back here for the holidays and over the summer." Amy couldn't see the hurt expression that crossed her grandfather's face at her words but she heard it in his voice._

_Amy flipped the lid of the suitcase closed, resting her hands on top of it as she stared at the zippers. The pain began to well up inside of her again at the thought of coming home to this place that she once loved so dearly after it tore her whole family apart. "No, I can't."_

_"This is your home, you can't run away from it like this." Jack persisted, stepping into the room and placing his hand over Amy's as she started to zip the suitcase._

_Hurt and anger coursed through her. "Dad did! Lou did! Even Mom did for those few months when we were little. Why can't I?"_

_"Because you're doing it for the wrong reasons and eventually it's going to be easier to just stay away. I don't want to lose you too, Amy. I can't." He squeezed her hand, making Amy's eyes sting with threatening tears as she turned and leaned into her grandfather, wrapping her arms around him tightly._

_"I'm sorry, Grandpa. I don't want to hurt you, but I just can't stay here and face this place anymore. Without Mom it's… it's just too painful." She was doing this. It was settled the moment she accepted her place at University of British Columbia and sent the tuition payment. There was no going back. _

Picking at blades of grass, Amy's mind was zoning in and out among her memories both before and after she left Heartland. She sat with Ty in the middle of Spartan's field, the untouched grain a couple dozen yards away directly between them and the horse. He was plucking at grass, seemingly uninterested in the food they offered, but had watched Amy when she first set it down, shaking the feeder so he could hear the grain rattle around inside. His ears pricked as if he remembered the sound and knew what it meant and took a few whiffs of the sweet scent. He was still uncertain about her, but he at least didn't dart away when he saw her coming, and instead held his ground and showed her through the pin of his ears that he didn't want her any closer. Amy adhered to his warning, setting the food down then backing off to where she left Ty standing where they'd been sitting ever since. It felt like close to an hour had passed since then. Amy had the patience to sit there all day, but she was starting to get bored and hungry. It didn't seem like Spartan was going to move closer any time soon, either.

She ripped off a blade of grass and pressed it between her thumbs. Bringing it to her lips she blew, but the air just passed right through her joined fingers. "I never could figure out how to to that." She tossed the blade aside and picked up another.

Ty glanced at her and the grass she was now holding. He smiled a little, recalling a time when he too had seen wonders in simple things like that.

"You have to have a good hold so the blade is drawn like a string," he guided. "Your thumbs are all good, but… the…" Ty was trying to remember what the part was called, "these…" he said eventually after giving up and touched the roots of Amy's thumbs, "you gotta hold them together more firmer, like this."

Amy laughed at his awkward attempt at describing her thumb joints. "I see anatomy wasn't your thing in school." She then watched as he took a blade of grass for himself and adjusted it between his fingers, while thinking how random they were being. After bringing it to his lips, he blew out and a high, bird-like sound could be heard. It made Spartan jump a little and the horse kept staring at them, wondering why they had made that kind of sound.

"Well well well… Maybe I don't need you after all," he joked. "Seems like I could be a good horse charmer with this new whistle of mine." Ty nodded toward the gelding, even though Amy had probably seen the horse taking an interest of them again.

She'd been studying Ty's strategy with the grass whistle, watching the way his thumbs came together and his lips puckered to blow air between them, causing the blade to vibrate like the reed of a woodwind instrument. He made it look so easy, but she was distracted from giving it another try herself when Spartan shied from the high-pitched noise. "Yeah, good luck with that. I still think we'll be better off with my method."

Amy brought her fresh piece of grass to her lips, pinching it as Ty told her and blowing against the blade. For a split second it whistled as Ty's had, but then she lost it. Still, Amy would call that progress and grinned as she adjusted the blade and tried again, getting the same result. "Well, it's better than it was." She dropped the grass onto the ground and let her eyes drift back to the horse who had ceased his grazing to continue watching them. "So is he," she nodded in his direction. "We've been out her for almost an hour and he hasn't run away or come after us. He's keeping an eye on us, but still grazing so he's getting used to our presence, realizing we're not a threat." She just wished he'd get a little brave and move closer to the grain, but that meant also getting closer to them, which was a big step.

Ty had to admit he didn't consider himself as optimistic as Amy, because sitting in a field and watching a horse grazing didn't exactly feel like progress to him, but the more Ty thought about it, he had to admit she was probably right. Usually Spartan just ran away if someone even set a foot to the field. Now he didn't mind sharing his space - just as long as they still kept their distance.

"Hmm, yeah. I guess you're right. I hadn't even thought about it like that. So… we are basically desensitizing him now?" Ty asked and glanced at Amy. He was trying to understand the process, so he could get tips how to proceed with everything after Amy would leave.

"To us, at least," Amy answered, stretching out a little and leaning back on her hands. "Baby steps." She closed her eyes and tipped her head back to feel the warm sun on her face, listening to the slight breeze stir through the trees and reveling in this silence she hadn't heard in so long. Her ears were tainted from the sounds of the city: car horns, emergency response vehicles, construction equipment, and lots and lots of shouting, sometimes in foreign languages. It also smelled a lot better out here more… natural. Earthy. It had been a long time since Amy experienced this tranquility, she nearly forgot how relaxing and meditative it could be.

"So tell me about it," she started, opening an eye to glance at him before closing it again. "how you ended up here. No offense, but it's pretty obvious you weren't born a country boy." She smiled, people said the opposite of her when she moved to the city.

Ty wasn't even offended by Amy's words, because he knew he wasn't fit to live this kind of lifestyle, even if he had somehow gotten used to it over the years. He grew up in the city and missed it at times, but after everything that had happened to him, he liked the space and quiet that the countryside offered. He could choose to be unseen if he wanted.

"Well…" Ty started, wondering what kind of version he would tell Amy. Not all, obviously, but just enough to give her what she wanted - a part of his story. "This house", he kind of shot a glance over his shoulder toward his place, "used to belong to my mother. We never really got along, just never really saw things eye to eye, but… some years ago, I called her and she sounded… weird. I knew something was up, more than usual. She was kind of going through something. That visit ended up being longer than I expected."

Amy's eyes opened then, glancing toward the house and realizing the story he was telling her wasn't exactly what she anticipated hearing. She didn't know what exactly she expected, but this wasn't it. The tone of his voice and the way he carefully chose his words were very tell-tale, making her sit up a little straighter to show she was giving him her attention, listening, and interested in hearing what he wanted to tell her even though she didn't know how to prepare for what was coming.

Taking time to continue, Ty couldn't look at Amy even though she was watching him so intensely, but instead watched Spartan, fearing he would break down for some reason, even though he had gone through the whole thing over and over in his head and figured he was okay with it all now. There was nothing he could change, nothing he could do to make things different.

"While I was staying here, things seemed to get better for her. I think it cheered her up and I was kind of thinking of going back to the city, but… then…" Ty felt like choking up. Everyone in town knew what had happened and Ty wouldn't have been surprised if Amy was already familiar with that part of the story, but he wanted to tell it his way. Not the way everyone else did - with gory details and made-up drama. "She died. It was kind of… an accident."

Amy was a little startled to see the expression in his eyes change, become pained, saddened, maybe even a little guilty. She'd heard snippets of rumors about some tragedy that surrounded Ty the night she stayed to help Soraya at Maggie's once word came around that she was working so closely with him, but she just assumed they were talking about Mr. Hanley and his estate. No. That wasn't it at all and Amy felt almost sick to learn they were speaking of his mother. Amy didn't say anything, not sure if it was because she didn't want to upset him or herself from how close his story sounded to her own. Instead, she continued to study him with a sympathetic crease to her brow, and waited.

Ty could see the moment flashing before his eyes and the blood on his hands. How he couldn't make it stop from running, no matter how hard he tried. He could still feel her mother's body turning lifeless and lighter in his arms. Recall the moment of their goodbye, before she slipped from him for ever.


	18. Chapter 18

_**Trigger warning: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS CHARACTER DEATH AND BLOOD!**_

_Kerry-Anne's head felt heavy on his lap as they watched television that night. Everything was strangely falling into place: after few weeks she was no longer going anywhere and he felt content even if his mother was around. There was no awkwardness hovering above them anymore. _

_While Ty was helping his mother by fixing up the place, Kerry-Anne was keeping Lily company. He felt like actually being a son she could be proud of and they had started to feel like a little family again._

_Ty also felt more comfortable in his own skin. For the first time someone knew who he was and accepted him without making him feel like he was somehow less worthy than everyone else. No one got to choose their life or the battles they would have, but what they could choose was their own actions and how they dealt with the problems at hand. It had taken some time for Ty to realize that, but when you were forced to face yourself in a confined space, it was better to just get it over with than fight against it. Seemed like Kerry-Anne appreciated his character more than what had made him the way he was._

_Ty brought a bottle to his lips and took a sip, before realizing he had run out of beer. He adjusted the bottle back to the table and realized he could take a bathroom break since the commercials were on anyway._

_"I'm gonna take a leak," Ty said, hinting for Kerry-Anne to lift her head. She got up and kept her eyes toward the screen. _

_He looked at her for a moment and wondered this whole boyfriend-girlfriend act. Nothing had happened with them, but Kerry-Anne was very affectionate in a way and Ty didn't mind sharing his personal space with her anymore. He had gotten used to it and sometimes hoped for it to go further, but Ty didn't wanna push it. _

_Besides he wasn't sure if Kerry-Anne was like this with everyone or if she was feeling the same way too. Shaking the thoughts from his head, Ty left to the bathroom._

_While unbuckling his belt, Ty switched on the lights and jumped after seeing his mother lying on the tub. She was motionless and pale, and the water she was in was blood red._

_"Mom…?" Ty said with a weak voice, knowing something was wrong. There was a sense of danger in the air. Like a drill that pierced his heart out of nowhere._

_He rushed to the tub and took a hold of his mother, jerking her a little when it seemed like she was not conscious. She wasn't responding to anything, but Ty noticed her body was still warm so still here. "Mom!"_

_He pulled the plug and the water started to get shallower, making it more thick with the red color. _

_"Kerry-Anne! Come here, quick!" Ty yelled and grabbed one of the towels that was hanging near the tub. He tried to put pressure on her wrists that were bleeding out._

_"What is it?" Kerry-Anne came to the door and saw the back of Ty. She could tell Lily was in the tub, fully clothed and wet, but couldn't make out what exactly was happening behind him. The sound of Ty's voice gave her some perception that he was worried. "What's wrong?"_

_"C-call an ambulance," Ty told her. "Quick!"_

_Kerry-Anne walked over to them and saw the traces of blood everywhere._

_"What happened?!" Kerry-Anne's eyes widened with terror._

_"Sh-e-" Ty couldn't make the words come out, because he was too scared. Kerry-Anne took her cell phone out, deciding to take action, but kept checking Ty's hands that were keeping pressure on the towel. It was clear the towel alone wasn't enough to save Lily. They needed help._

_"Ty, what happened?" Kerry-Anne demanded answers. She had to know what she would tell the operator. The number 911 was already ready to be dialed, she just needed him to say something._

_"I think she slit her wrists," Ty said and felt like he wasn't doing enough. His breaths were shallow and the room was spinning, and it was like he couldn't think clearly. Lily needed to be keep conscious, but calling her name wouldn't be enough, so Ty decided to get in the tub and take his mother into his arms._

_"Mom, can you hear me? Mom?" He pressed his chin on her shoulder and felt her body crawling down like she was just a rag doll._

"So… being her only son, only heir, I had to decide what to do with this place," Ty continued without telling Amy exactly how his mother had died. "I didn't have anything to go back to and… I don't know, I wasn't really interested in doing anything around that time, so I stayed. And then… I just never left. Before I knew it, years had passed and the house started to feel like a home. That's how I ended up here."

Ty felt some level of relief after telling Amy at least something about himself. He had been careful not to scare her away, but right now, they were bound through Spartan and he felt like trusting her a little bit more after seeing how gentle she was with the horse.

Amy was still at a loss for words. Her lips parted and she took in a breath in attempt to say something but nothing came out. She just stared at him, that same empathetic expression soft on her face. What was she supposed to say? I'm sorry? That seemed like a cliche cop-out in order to avoid saying anything at all. She wanted to say something, to say she could understand probably more than he realized, but she balked. Ty told her his story, or at least part of it, when he didn't have to at all. Had he refused to tell her, she probably would have pressed a little, but eventually given up not wanting to upset him again and upon realizing it didn't really matter anyway. Their relationship wasn't like that. Or, at least, it wasn't supposed to be. It was supposed to remain on a strictly professional level, but what Ty just revealed to her took it way deeper than that. It threw her and she didn't know how she was supposed to react, but she couldn't just sit there with her mouth open.

"I'm sorry," she cringed inwardly at those seemingly empty words that just automatically slipped from her mouth. They made her shake her head. "I mean… I'm sorry I can't think of anything more meaningful to say. I feel like I should… offer some kind of profound meaning of life speech or something." She laughed softly, a little awkwardly. Ty tried to smile sadly too, hoping it would make Amy feel easier. It was a lot to throw at her. "But, uh… I don't think it'd mean much coming from me." She shifted her gaze away from Ty, toward Spartan where his eyes had been pretty much the whole time he was talking. Her fingers absently plucked at the grass in front of her. "What…" she stopped, uncertain if continuing with this heavy conversation was wise, or if it was better left as it was. But she'd started to ask, so she finished, "what made you decide to get back in touch with her?"

It was like Amy had some kind of sixth sense about touching the parts of his life that Ty wanted to keep well hidden. So far she had been understanding about his mother, but what else did people offer after a speech like his other than pity, in most cases anyway. You didn't choose a tragedy, but this on the other hand - Ty had been asking for it, even if it hadn't seem like that at the time.

"I was… released from juvie."

Well, there it was. All the big bad skeletons from his closet: his mother's death and his history with the Canadian criminal justice system. Not a pretty record, but still it was what he had to live with. "You don't have to be afraid, I didn't kill anyone or wasn't a threat to society," he added, feeling like he should set that straight before Amy's reaction went any further. Killing was the first thing most people thought about when they heard words like "prison" or "criminal".

"I'm not," Amy answered gently with a brief shake of her head. She hadn't flinched. Afraid wasn't the word. Surprised, even intrigued, maybe, but not afraid. There wasn't anything about Ty that frightened her. There were things about him she was starting to realize made her nervous, but not in the way that made her fear for her own safety. "It was a long time ago. I'm sure things are different now." She might condemn herself for things that happened in the past, but she didn't do that to others. It wasn't fair to judge someone for past mistakes - no matter what they might be.

"Can I ask what it was you did?" Maybe she was pushing it, but Ty had made it a point to assure her he wasn't a true hardened criminal and now had her curious.

Ty encouraged himself to check Amy's expression. Her voice was calm, but there was some sort of change in it. She didn't sound like everyone else when these things came out. Amy didn't pity him, but she was more like compassionate.

"My mom, she had these impulses to do crazy stuff out of the blue, and mostly it had something to do with our savings. Gambling, shopping, spending all of our money without thinking too much about it… So, there was never much money around when I was growing up. A lot of times we were in debt and I remember we were starving at some point," he started out. "I know it was a bad way to get money and it didn't exactly help the situation in long term, but I started to steal things. First it was food, then wallets, eventually I broke into cars. We were, uh.." Ty scratched his neck and felt embarrassed to tell the story, but proceed anyway now that he had opened his mouth, "me and my buddy, we were robbing this small shop when we got caught. He was armed and got a longer sentence. I did some time but I was then let out to undergo this rehabilitation program. And eventually I was done."

It sounded so much more simple when he put it this way. But Ty could still remember how scared he had been during that experience and he had made himself a promise not to get in trouble like that again. Losing one's freedom was the worst feeling you could possibly imagine.

Amy listened closely to Ty tell her how he managed to get himself into so much trouble. To her it didn't really sound like it was all that bad even if he ended up doing time for the crimes. Sure there were other ways to deal with those situations - places that could help - but sometimes the one thing people held onto was their stubborn pride. Amy didn't think it was exactly like that with Ty, where was the pride in stealing? There certainly wasn't any in juvie.

"Sounds to me like you were just trying to help your family. I'm not saying that the way you did it was exactly noble, but I get sometimes you just gotta do what you think it takes." She shrugged one shoulder as her eyes turned back to Ty. He was surprised how easily she took it. Amy was right; keeping him and his mother alive had been the reason why Ty had committed crimes and at the time it had seemed the only thing he could do for them. He knew now that he could have found another way to deal with their poverty, but when you were young, you just didn't have the patience to weight your options.

"Anyway, what's important is that you learned from it. The hard way, maybe," her lips curved into a little smile, giving him a nudge with her elbow, making him move a little, "but you came out of it a better person." Her eyes drifted away from Ty again out to the field briefly before they lowered to her boots. "I think so at least," she added as a quiet after thought.

"Yeah… I feel ashamed sometimes, because I don't want people to think I'd do the same thing now. I've changed so much, my life has changed completely. Especially because I wanted to learn to be better," Ty added. "If that happened again, I wouldn't choose the same path. I learned my lesson."

"See? That's all that matters. And don't worry about what anyone else thinks. Just let your actions speak for you." It seemed Ty had been around long enough for people to realize he wasn't there to stir up any trouble, but she supposed if he kept to himself so much it made people suspicious, especially after figuring out his history. It didn't seem fair, but that was just how life seemed to work.

A movement in front of them brought Amy's gaze back up to see Spartan, with his nose brushing the ground, take a few careful steps toward them. "Look." Amy smiled, in awe as the black horse sniffed toward the grain, his tongue poking out as he made chewing motions with his mouth. Ty turned his eyes from Amy to the horse.

"Be very still," Amy breathed to Ty when the gelding eyed them, probably trying to determine if the sweet smelling feed was worth moving closer to the humans.

Ty watched at the horse, holding his breath. As Spartan had gotten more comfortable with their presence and even with their voices, he was taking his first steps back to recovery. The gelding was still eyeing them and weighing his options, but was slowly starting to cave in when he could no longer resist the temptation. Ty smiled and tried his best not to look at Amy after she had told him to be very still.

Spartan's nostrils flared as he caught another powerful whiff of the mint Amy had added to the grain in order to make it as hard as possible for him to resist. Watching him, they could just see his mind working until he came to a decision and took the last few steps to the feeder and helped himself to a small bite before digging in.

"Good boy," Amy laughed softly, looking at Ty, relieved that they were able to make some progress. To anyone else it would seem like just a small step, or half a step, maybe not even one at all since it was a natural instinct to be drawn to food (all animals were), but Amy was pleased. He chose to come closer on his own knowing the people that frightened him so much were sitting just a few yards away.


	19. Chapter 19

Once Spartan finished off his lunch and wandered away to find a new patch of grass, Amy slowly got up to retrieve the ground feeder. The gelding hadn't gone far, so seeing Amy move toward him startled him into pinning his ears at her. "Easy buddy, you're okay," she talked to him softly, bending to grab the feeder and standing with it, taking a few steps back to watch him a moment. He'd ceased his grazing to look at her, jerking his head as if shooing her away. "You know, no matter how hard you try, you're really not that intimidating." He looked like a bit of a sad excuse for a horse the way his top line was sunken in, his onyx coat in desperate need of brushing, and his tail matted with burrs. "I bet you'd feel a lot better if you let us brush you." She almost couldn't help the instinctual urge to grab a curry comb and go at him.

Spartan stomped a hoof and snorted. "Don't be like that." She took a step forward, watching the horse's ears flick uncertainly. He really did try to intimidate her, but Amy realized that when she showed him he didn't scare her he became unsure.

"You're a good boy," she continued talking to him as she moved closer, hoping to distract him enough with her voice. "I bet you were a pretty good looking guy, weren't you?" Amy dug into her pocket for a peppermint, pausing to set the feeder down to she could unwrap it. Spartan's ears pricked at the sound of the crinkling cellophane. "You know what this is, don't you? Did Mr. Hanley give you peppermints?" Rolling the candy onto her palm, Amy offered the treat to the horse. "You want it?" He began jerking his head again, taking a few steps backward. "You gotta come get it." Amy stood still for a few moments until Spartan stopped retreating then she began walking forward was so close if she could add another two feet to her arm she's be able to hold the mint under his nose.

It was sad to see him so confused and uncertain, trying to figure out what was happening and if he wanted to go along with it or run. The pressure was starting to agitate him and, really, Amy should have known better than to keep at him, but she was only there for another couple days. She at least wanted Spartan to trust them enough to be touched, even handled. Once he got to that point all Ty would really have to do was spend time with him to enforce that trust. The rest would come naturally.

Ty was looking at Amy and the horse from the distance. He was sure he couldn't get anywhere near Spartan and didn't want to blow Amy's chances too by tagging along with her. Ty was curious about the whole process and Amy's alternative methods, but knew it was best to stay back and observe if they wanted to see any results.

"Good boy, Spartan. No one's gonna-" the rest of her sentence was drowned in a gasp as the horse lunged at her. Amy stumbled back to get out of his path, tripping over the feeder and landing hard on her back. Her eyes widened when she saw hooves in the air where she'd just been standing. That time he surely would have gotten her had she not fallen.

"Amy!" Ty yelled and without thinking, started rushing toward her. Spartan's quick reaction had made her jump back and she was still on the ground, looking at the horse as the gelding was making his way back to the distance where he liked being so much. "Are you okay?" he worried and came to help her up, making sure she was able to stand with her own two feet. "What happened?"

Trying to again catch her breath after having it knocked out of her, Amy slowly pushed herself up onto her elbows when Ty appeared at her side. "Yeah, I'm okay," she grimaced as she pushed a rock out from under her hips and sat up further. "I just pushed him a little too far, I guess." She took Ty's hand and stood, brushing dirt from her jeans with the other, and looking around for the horse that was once again down at the other end of the field. "Coward!" she called to him, her forehead creasing into a slight frown. It wasn't his fault that he was afraid and Amy knew and understood why he was, but the whole one step forward two steps back was what was going to be tiring.

Sighing, Amy looked away from the horse to realize then that she still held onto Ty's hand. "Sorry." Blushing, she abruptly let go and busied herself by fixing her shirt then moving to pick up the feeder.

It took a second for Ty to realize what she was apologizing for. At first he thought it was for calling Spartan a coward, but then based on Amy's awkward behavior, Ty figured it was the hand-holding that had bothered her.

"It's fine," Ty said, nodding a little, not really knowing why he suddenly felt like she had sent some kind of electric shock through his body just by the touch of her hand. Their contact lingered on his skin. "So… do you think that's all for today?" Ty tried to steer the conversation elsewhere. "He got what he wanted and I'm not sure if he's willing to come back again before it's already midnight. Or what do you think?"

"Uh…" Amy looked toward the horse, holding the feeder in front of her and trying to shake the odd sensation she experienced feeling Ty's hand in hers. "Yeah… I don't think it'll be a good idea to try and push him again today, but give him some grain again later this evening just as we did now. It's good to establish a routine - something he can anticipate. Sit with it just a few feet closer than we had today and see if he'll come the closer distance." By then he should have calmed down from Amy getting him all tensed up and hopefully will come for his special meal again since he licked the feeder clean.

"I'll write down what everything is and how much to give him and I guess we'll pick up same time tomorrow?" It seemed like a waste of an afternoon to call it quits and leave now, but Amy didn't want to overstay her welcome or make him feel like he had to entertain her because she was a guest when he probably had other work that he needed to get done.

Ty kept nodding along to Amy's words and didn't stop until she asked a question. He looked at the horse, but then faced Amy again. There was some kind of vibration in the air when they stood this close and Ty felt it all the way in his stomach.

"Yeah, sure," he agreed. "Uhm… Do you think you'd be free tonight? I-," he laughed already, knowing how odd it would sound, "I actually went to one of those grocery stores I hear so much about and I was thinking of having a barbecue tonight. Nothing fancy, something easy to cook, as you know I'm not too great at that, but…" Ty shrugged, "it would be nice to have some company - besides Remi. She's not too talkative and is only interested in the left-overs." He smiled a little.

Having Amy around was the best part of his day and he always felt a little sad when he watched her walking away from him. Ty's evenings these days were about thinking back what they had done that day and at night his mind was filled with anticipation of what would happen next. He knew that it was dangerous to get this attached, but he couldn't help it. Tomorrow would be the third day of their little agreement, and if the notification on his email was anything to go by, the part for her truck would arrive day after tomorrow. Then Amy would no longer need him for anything and they would part ways.

"Oh really?" Amy couldn't hide her amusement and exaggerated surprise that Ty did in fact know how to cook something more than beans. His offer made her smile and look down at the feeder in her hands to better maintain control of it as her stomach did a little somersault. "Um, yeah… yeah that'd be great." Her eyes lifted to his again. "Maybe I should bring something along as a back up?" She crinkled her nose a little. Ty laughed. "Just in case?" She was teasing him and his admitted lack of culinary skill, but she figured offering to contribute to this barbecue made it seem less like… a date.

"If you want to. I won't get offended if you do," he was joking, but at the same time wouldn't have been surprised if Amy would have returned with snacks of her own. Ty was nervous about the barbecue, but wanted to offer Amy even a little piece of country living - especially since she had apparently lived in the city for a while now. He also wanted to thank her for helping, not only Spartan but him too. Ty felt relieved, and he had already gained new experiences and skills through her. It had been easier to talk to Amy than he had imagined, and she had not been as judgmental as others might have been. Words wouldn't be enough to express his gratitude, but maybe a burnt steak was.


	20. Chapter 20

For the rest of the afternoon after getting dropped back off in town, Amy couldn't even attempt to hide how nervous she was about going back to Ty's that evening for his barbecue. She sweet-talked Soraya into letting her use the kitchen at Maggie's to prepare something to bring along with her since she didn't have access to, well, anything in her motel room. The other girl followed her around the whole time, neglecting customers, to pry any bit of information from Amy that she could. But Amy couldn't manage to wrap her head around that conversation and became frazzled by her own feelings. She didn't know what to say when Soraya asked if it was a date. It sure sounded like one, but did it count as one if it wasn't labeled as such? The moment Amy asked what she should wear was when Soraya cocked an eyebrow at her and said that whether it held the title or not, the fact that Amy was treating it as she would a date, made it a date. That made Amy stop and consider that point. She had two meals with Ty over the last couple of days and neither one of them had her twisted up in knots like this one did. It was just another dinner. A little more thought out than the night they had burgers on the floor of her room, but it was at his house, which made it feel different. More intimate. It was weird and Amy didn't know how to act when Ty came to pick her up that night because, date or not, she hadn't had a night alone like this with a guy in a long time and didn't know where it would end up.

"So, I made us dessert," she said, lifting the covered pie dish from her lap to show him as they headed back to his place. "It's Saskatoon Berry Pie. I guess I probably should have asked if you liked it first, but it's the one thing I remember how to make without needing a recipe. It's all I used to eat growing up when it was in season." Amy smiled fondly at the pie, remembering going out berry picking with her grandfather and eating them by the handful before they could even get back home for her mom to make them into a pie.

Ty glanced at the pie and then at Amy, but eventually returned his eyes back on the road. The smell of the fresh pastry filled the car and he would have lied if he had said it wasn't the best smell he had smelled in a while.

"You carry an Easy-Bake Oven with you or how did you manage to do that in your hotel room?" Ty was astonished by all the things Amy seemed to be able to do. He had a real oven and even that didn't offer him any kind of head-start to make a pie like that. Ty wasn't much of a cook, but compared to baking, he wasn't that bad at it - and that was very telling. "It smells amazing. And I think we're even now, since I didn't really ask you before I got you the burger," he smiled and felt like the food wasn't the only thing cooking here.

Ty had tried his best to clean up the house, even if Amy had already seen the mess yesterday, but it was more about the thought, the gesture of making an effort for her that mattered more than the state of the house. Ty couldn't believe how many hours one could use to cleaning up if they really wanted. He had bought things to freshen up the house and it was almost strange walking around now that the place smelled like one of Amy's herbs.

"No," Amy laughed softly, shifting the still warm pie on her legs. "I bribed Soraya into letting me borrow the kitchen at Maggie's for a little while. Since I was already at it, I made one for the diner, too." It probably would have been easier all around if she'd have just bought a pie already made from Maggie's, but that seemed like cheating. Besides, it gave Amy something to do to pass time rather than sit around and allow her nerves to consume her entirely. It was always better if she wasn't able to have time to think and just lived in the moment. That was her plan going into this evening with Ty, just sitting back and taking it as it came.

"So how did it go with Spartan? Did you try sitting with the grain again," Amy's gaze drifted from the road ahead to Ty, "or were you waiting for me to come back?" She finished with a little smirk, wondering if he chickened out.

Ty gave her an amused look, trying to keep down the stupid grin that was creeping up to his face. Amy's tone was always challenging him for some kind of flirtatious conversation, whether she meant it or not.

"I tried, but I didn't really have a chance to stay there for long," he told her. Cleaning up had taken up most of his afternoon, so time with Spartan had been cut short when he had already have to rush back to the town to pick up Amy. "Besides… it wasn't that much fun without you there," Ty added, smiling as if it had been a joke, but at the same time it wasn't an attempt to downplay Amy's influence or her presence. Ty had enjoyed their little moment together sitting in the grass, even if the topics of discussions had not always been so pleasant.

"Well, there's always tomorrow." That was always the philosophy she tried to live by. Unfortunately, their tomorrows were limited. At least Amy's were to work with Ty and his horse. She just hoped she left them on the right track to forming a positive relationship.

Ty turned his truck to a smaller road and after few minutes they were at his place. Remi barked and jumped up and down on the porch where Ty had ordered her to stay while he would make the quick trip to Hudson. The dog recognized the truck and could hardly stay still while waiting for a command from Ty. When he stepped out from the truck, she got one.

"C'mere, girl," he said and gave her a signal by tapping his hip. The dog immediately sprinted toward him, and when she was at his feet, it almost looked like the tail was wagging the dog and not the other way around.

Amy stepped out and smiled at the man and his dog, finding that longing that frequently aroused to look into getting a dog of her own. It wasn't easy having animals in her apartment in the city, dogs especially. Her cat was good company, currently being looked after by a friend while she was out of town, but Amy missed having a dog. "You've trained her really well," she commented, coming around the truck to give Remi a scratch on the head before her eyes automatically traveled to Spartan in the field behind them. He was once again grazing in the distance, Amy pursing her lips in thought. Her work with the horse was done for the day, though, so she was going to try not to concern herself with him any more today.

"She's a smart girl," Ty said proudly and looked at the dog who was in euphoria because of Amy's scratches.

"I'm starving. When are we getting this thing started?" she asked with a grin, forcing her attention away from the horse. Ty laughed.

"Right now if you want. Let's get that pie inside and I'll get the fire started," he told her and went ahead. His steps felt light and there was some kind of promise in the air. Ty was sure he was going to enjoy tonight.

"I built this fire pit few years ago, but haven't actually used it that much," Ty spoke when he had gotten the fire started and was adjusting the grill grate better. "Had to grab the opportunity and use it now. There's no fun sitting here alone." The fire licked Ty's skin, so he pulled his hand away, shaking it and making a low hissing sound. He then took one of tools to scrape the old grease stains off to the fire and glanced at Amy and the cooler she was carrying. "Help yourself with the drinks."

Amy set the cooler down between the two wooden Adirondack chairs next to the fire, sitting down on the edge of one and opening the lid to grab a bottle of water. "I don't know, I could probably sit here for hours and just soak it all in. Living in the city for as long as I have reminded me of just how much I appreciate clean air and nature." Cracking the lid, Amy took a sip of the cold water, stretching her legs out in front of her as she watched Ty get the grill ready. "I guess you're probably over that now, huh?" She remembered what a culture shock it had been when she first moved to Vancouver. It felt like her eyes were always moving to find something else new to see, but eventually she just stopped looking as she became acclimated with her new home.

"Pretty much," Ty smiled a little. He had actually come to love Alberta more than he had expected and didn't take the nature for granted, but most of the activities he liked doing weren't done outdoors. Ty considered himself a little restless at times, so sitting back and relaxing had to have some kind of meaning to him as well. Kind of like what they had done in the field with Spartan. Speaking of the horse, there was a clear view to his pasture, and Ty thought this was another good way to make the gelding get used to them, even if it was a little further away.

Remi walked up to them and pushed her nose against Amy's thigh, demanding scratches. "Hey, just tell her off if she gets too clingy", Ty told Amy after noticing the dog at her side while he was getting the steaks ready for the grill.

Shifting her water to the other hand, Amy let it rest on the arm of the chair so she could use the other to meet the dog's request, or more like demand. "Oh, that's okay. She's really sweet." Amy loved on the dog, telling her to sit before happily rubbing her head. She spend a few quiet moments giving Remi some attention before turning to watch Ty again. "Is there anything I can do?"

"Nah. I got this," Ty insisted and got everything ready. "But thanks." He then sat down and walked over to the cooler, taking himself a bottle. "So… you got to hear my story earlier. I think it's only fair to hear yours." Twisting the cap open from his beer, Ty sat down and took a sip, keeping his sight on Amy as he positioned himself on the other chair. He could remember her telling bits and pieces from here and there, but surely there had to be more. Her thoughts and experiences had to have origins.

There were only two days left before Ty would get the parts for her truck, sending Amy on her way. Something told him that she had already left the kind of impression on him that would last a lifetime. Maybe her story would help him to imprint her on his mind even more. Ty was hoping to get through to Spartan and eventually find him a good home, but after that the connection with Amy would wither. He knew already that he would be thinking back on these summer days and this exact moment, wondering whatever happened to that Amy Fleming girl. That's why he wanted to seize this.

Amy's eagerness to help slowly faded when Ty asked about her story. She shifted uncomfortably in the chair and found her eyes had sought something else to look at other than him, which turned out to be the fire in front of them. He was right, it was fair. He'd told her things Amy didn't think she'd ever have been able to share with anyone, much less a virtual stranger. "My story…" she sighed, folding her legs back and bouncing them anxiously, unsure of where to even begin or how to go about it, or even if she wanted to go there. "What is it that you want to know?"

"Well, I don't know. Things that have mattered to you. Things that have changed you. Things you are proud of - that sorta stuff," Ty shrugged. It was hard to just dig in into something you didn't know almost anything about. He could have asked her questions like, where are you originally from or do you have any siblings, but none of those things really told much about her. Maybe that she was someone's sister and she had moved to the city after living her childhood at a ranch, but that was just surface. Ty was more interested about things that Amy felt important to tell to him. The way she viewed herself.

A small smile tugged at the corner of Amy's mouth. "Wow, okay, getting deep here. But that's kind of a big list." Or more like a handful of long stories. Turning the water bottle between her fingers, Amy pondered a moment before her eyes drifted to Spartan. "Why don't I start with him." It made the most sense considering she was only even there because of her past with horses, but it was also probably the safest place to start.


	21. Chapter 21

_Amy studied her mother through the fence, her backpack slung over one shoulder, while she waited for the school bus to come. Marion was driving a grey gelding around the corral, making whooshing and clicking noises with her mouth to keep him moving and focused on her. It didn't take long, only a minute or so, for her to turn away from the horse. The reaction was instantaneous as he turned in and walked to her shoulder, nudging it gently and looking for his peppermint._

_"How come you're still joining up with him if you know he's going to come to you every time?" she asked._

_Marion rubbed the horse's forehead and walked to the fence to join her daughter, Pegasus following loyally behind. "To keep enforcing that trust and just reminding him that as long as I'm around, nothing will hurt him."_

_"But it's Pegasus." That horse had been a part of their family for as long as Amy could remember. It seemed odd to think that he'd just suddenly lose trust in any of them, especially after the long hours they spend helping him recover from the accident that tore their family apart._

_Marion smiled. "How come you still praise Max for sitting when you tell him when you know he's going to do it every time? she countered._

_"Touche." Amy laughed, shaking her head. "But what happens if a horse doesn't choose to come in to the center? What if they just never gain your trust?" In all of the years she watched her mother work with the horses that came to Heartland, she never met one that hadn't been able to be helped unless it was due to medical reasons. There were some more challenging than others, but with enough time they all found their place in the center of the circle._

_"You keep at them until they do. Eventually, they'll get tired of running and realize they'd rather be with you. They're herd animals and when you take away their option to be with other horses, they have no other choice but to find a new one. And that's with you. One way or another."_

_"But what if they don't." Amy persisted, not believing that every horse will ultimately decide to join up. They could be just as proud as any human._

_Marion scoffed playfully at her difficult daughter. "You, go to school." She nodded toward the bus that began winding down the driveway. "We'll take Swallow and Sundance out on a ride this afternoon, I want to check his progress, okay?"_

_"Okay," Amy reached through the fence to pet Pegasus' muzzle before darting off to catch the bus._

"My mom was a… well, I'll just say a horse whisperer, though that's not exactly the politically correct term. She helped horses like Spartan that had been neglected or abused, or just had vices and phobias that their owners couldn't fix no matter what they did." Amy paused, a smile coming a little wider to her face as she laughed softly at a memory. "Like this one time, this man brought over his draft horse that was terrified of chickens. By the time she was done with him, he had chickens hopping up to sleep on his back." That had been an experience Amy never forgot, but those lighthearted cases were always a great relief to balance out the other darker challenges that came to Marion.

"But that's how I knew how to help Spartan. I spent my whole life watching her work miracles on what people deemed as lost causes. I just… never really tried to help one myself before. Not without her," Amy added in a low voice, her eyes glazing over a moment as she stared into the fire. But she snapped out of it and shifted to look at Ty. "Which is why I'm so afraid that I'm going to screw it up."

"Well, so far you've done better than anyone else I've seen. And I've seen some really good experts trying to help him," Ty praised Amy a little, who smiled sheepishly and lowered her gaze. He was still amazed by her ability to get so close to the gelding. Like she knew what Spartan was thinking. Amy could just very well be his last hope and the hope grew bigger by the day.

"Horse whisperer…" Ty then repeated, causing Amy to look at him again. Now he had a word to use for the things Amy tried with Spartan. "I thought they were sort of a… myth. I don't know why, but it makes me think about the Natives and their relationship with horses. Riding bareback after taming those mustangs."

He laughed a little, almost feeling embarrassed.

"I don't know if I'm totally making this association up, because to tell you the truth, before I moved here, I thought mustangs were only cars," he laughed, recalling feeling the light bulb over his head when he had finally realized that the horse in the logo was not just a comparison for speed, but actually the origin of the name.

"That's not surprising, but it did begin with the Natives and those Mustangs - the real ones - centuries ago. It just became a little more mainstream by this guy named Monty Roberts. He spent his childhood just watching a herd by his home and learned to read their body language. He started gentling them and hosting clinics for people to come watch. Over the years, other trainers began picking up those methods, or making their own variations, but the true whisperers were the Natives. My mom learned directly from them - all the herbs and techniques were passed on to her. She spent years collecting it all in journals." Now was another moment Amy wished she had at least one of them with her to show Ty how detailed everything was. Her mother didn't leave out a single detail and even sketched drawings of the herbs for reference before she knew them all by sight.

"There are people that still think it's a waste of time to build a relationship with an animal - that they are meant to do what we ask - but my mom never forced a horse to do anything they didn't choose to do on their own. They may just be animals, but they have families and fears and feelings that can be hurt. She believed that to have a partnership with a horse was one of the greatest, but also most fragile, bonds a person could ever have." Amy nodded toward the dark outline of Spartan in the setting sun. "With a horse like Spartan you need to build a solid foundation before you can start building on it or else it'll crumble and you'll be left with nothing to hang onto. That's why I told you not to expect a miracle because even the progress we made can be destroyed with one wrong move." She was trying the best she knew how not to let that happen, but it was that pressure she placed on herself that made her question her actions and doubt her abilities.

"That's pretty amazing," Ty commented and watched Spartan as well. He didn't want to let down the horse's trust, even if the gelding probably wasn't aware what he was trying to do. "I don't think it's stupid, to build that kind of relationship with an animal. It's actually kind of cool. Like, take me and Remi for example."

The dog was alerted by her name and watched her owner curiously as Amy glanced down at the dog with a smile, continuing to rub between her ears.

"We live together in this small house, yet we don't speak each other's language, but somehow we know how to communicate. It has taken some time to know what every bark and snarl means, but… she's become a friend to me. A companion. At the same time she's learned to tell the difference between the words I use and how I say them, and what my body language gives away. She's been a great help and supporter to me. I want to treat her the best way possible."

"And that's the attitude that's going to help you establish a relationship with your horse." When it came to natural horsemanship so many people were skeptical of the benefits because it took a great deal of time and energy that people didn't want to bother wasting. If Amy had sensed any skepticism among Ty after this long, she wouldn't have bothered to continue because there would be no point if he was just going to leave her work unfinished when she left. The fact that he was willing to keep at it gave Amy the encouragement to get him there.

"But my mom, she could just… look at a horse and know what was wrong and how to fix it." Giving Remi a last stroke, Amy took her hand back as she scooted back to against the back of the chair. "It didn't always work, though. Like with people some horses just… they can't be helped," she said with a heavy sigh, remembering a few horses that had left Heartland in the bucket of a backhoe. "She always tried, though," Amy went on absently, her eyes staring back toward the crackling fire. "Until time ran out."

"How does that work?" Ty wondered, feeling genuinely curious. "Horses are complicated creatures, just like us. How could your mother just look at them and know what's wrong? Some things, obviously, are visible, but I would think there are things under the surface that you have no way of knowing - not unless they tell you. And as far as I know, horses don't speak our language."

Ty took a sip and let his eyes wander from Amy to Spartan. How could he ever learn to know what the horse wanted, especially since there was so much damage underneath that he could accidentally poke without knowing.

Even Amy had to shrug at that reasoning. "To be honest I always wondered that myself. I could never truly figure it out. But like all animals, horses have their own language and she learned to speak it." She shifted again, leaning to rest her arms on her legs as she tried to figure out a way to explain. "It was like… whenever she was with a horse everything just went so still… and so silent you could just feel this… other worldly connection buzzing through the air. It sometimes felt like I was eavesdropping on a conversation I couldn't hear and wasn't a part of." At that moment Amy laughed, shaking her head. "I must sound so ridiculous. It's just one of those things you have to experience to truly understand," she paraphrased, finding no other way to really explain in proper words. "But no matter how many times I've experienced it, I still don't quite understand how she did it. Growing up all I wanted to do was be like her. She was my hero." Her voice drifted off and she glanced at Ty with a brief smile. Ty returned that smile. Amy's experience with her mother was so different from his.

"Then," Amy sighed and once again slid back in the chair, taking her water into her lap. "one day I woke up. And realized I couldn't be like her because there was no one else like her."

"So…" Ty rubbed his thumb across the beer bottle, "if you're saying you're not like her, does that mean we're just wasting our time here or are you trying to find some other way into Spartan's head?" He studied Amy. Maybe he didn't know what it had been like with her mother, but he had never seen anyone do the same as Amy had done with Spartan. Ty wasn't stupid enough to think it was just something every horse crazy girl could do - what Amy possessed was a gift that she must have practiced at least to some degree.

"I guess, in a way." Amy shifted uncomfortably, wondering if Ty maybe thought she was really some kind of phony. "She once told me I had 'the gift' like she did," she gestured with air-quotes, "but I never found myself totally capable of believing her. What she did was magical - almost so unbelievable you'd think it was some kind of trick. I never thought I could do that, though for most of my life that's all I wanted. But then I kind of… gave up on it after I moved to the city. I learned a lot from her, though, and what I'm doing here is all rooted in everything she taught me, but it's been a really long time since I've tried to do anything like this. And I've never done it without her before. So, I guess you'll just have to accept that I'm trying. I did tell you not to expect miracles," she reminded him for about the third time. Maybe she wasn't her mother, and maybe it would all turn out to be a waste in the end, but it wouldn't be because she didn't give it the best shot she was capable of giving. It was just hard to dig back through so many years of memories and ask herself 'What would Marion do?' when she spent so long suppressing all that had to do with them.

"I know. And I'm not expecting you to do magic tricks either. I… I trust you. I know we haven't done much yet, but I don't know - I have a good feeling about you," Ty admitted, hoping it wouldn't come off too creepy. Amy looked at him a little curiously, but a light, almost shy, smile tugged at her lips. "Just your attitude with this whole thing. Even if it seems hopeless and even if you're not too sure about your own abilities, you still think it's worth a shot. Like you won't quit if there's even a tiny chance that things will be a little better. I like that", he smiled a little after the compliment, feeling naked in front of her after being so honest. "I think I should learn more from you than just few horsey tips."

He took a sip, letting his eyes wander a little while, so he wouldn't make Amy intimidated.

"Sorry… I'm just talking all sorts of stuff now that I finally have some company," he laughed, feeling a little embarrassed how he somehow opened up to her without her even trying. Ty stood up and checked their food, hoping he wouldn't ruin this completely even if he was unable to keep his mouth shut. If anything, at least Amy would leave with her stomach full.

"I don't mind. It's been kind of quiet on the road. The radio isn't the greatest conversationalist," she joked, tipping her body toward him slightly with an amused simper. Originally that had been the whole point, but after the first day Amy wasn't so keen on listening to her own thoughts any longer. "But I've still got a couple days, right? That's time enough for some progress to be made." Ty nodded. Whether for Ty or his horse, Amy wasn't sure, but maybe the both of them would learn a little something from each other along the way.


	22. Chapter 22

"I'll let you do the honors," Ty said and handed Amy the cake server. They were inside the house after eating most of the food they had grilled at the fire pit. Some leftovers were brought inside and the non-spicy ones had been enjoyed by Remi.

Ty was stuffed, but there was no way he would pass up an opportunity to taste a pie Amy had made. Even if it had cooled down already, the smell was still lingering in the air. "That smells really nice…"

"Thanks," Amy smiled as she cut through the flaky crust of the Saskatoon Pie she contributed to their barbecue. "I hope it tastes just as good." She hadn't made it in what felt like years and hadn't really had time to try it earlier to make sure. After joking with Ty earlier about bringing something as a back up in case dinner was a flop, she would be pretty embarrassed to discover it wasn't his grilling skills they had to worry about. Dinner turned out to be delicious, Amy eating perhaps more than her fill. But there was always room for dessert.

While Amy was slicing a piece for herself, Ty took few plates for them from the cabinet. He couldn't remember the last time he had taken out more than one plate at a time. It made him smile, thinking that the house was now used for normal every day living and not just storing things.

As he turned around, he took in the view. The last few rays of sun were coloring the kitchen golden and Ty could see the dust playing in the air. Even if the walls had quite a few stories to tell, the place didn't feel as haunted as it usually did with the stillness that was ever present. Amy had brought some kind of good energy with her.

"Here," Amy reached for the first plate to slide a slice of pie onto it before trading it with Ty for the other. "Bon appétit." She licked some of the filling from her thumb before picking up the forks, handing one off to him.

"Okay, let's see…" Ty spoke and dug in.

"Feel free to be critical. I can take it." She grinned while digging in and taking the initial taste. It tasted pretty good to her, but her eyes watched Ty closely for his reaction as he took his first bite. She noticed that he seemed to be more comfortable around her in the way he retrieved the plates and forks for them and so easily invited her back inside after the personal, and at times uncomfortable, conversations they had outside.

"Well you haven't keeled over yet. I'll take that as a good sign," she teased, poking her fork into her slice for another bite though her eyes remained on Ty.

"Hmmm…" Ty took his time on purpose, keeping Amy in suspense. He made faces that changed from curious to ponderous, slowing his chewing like he wouldn't like the taste or texture of the food, but then picking up the pace again. "Interesting…" he went on and looked at the pie, almost as if he couldn't believe the look and the taste didn't match. It made her pause in her own eating out of worry that it was perhaps worse than she thought. Or maybe it just wasn't a taste he enjoyed. Saskatoon berries weren't for everyone.

"It kind of reminds me of… What's that thing…" Ty kept digging his brain, still playing with Amy, but when it looked like she was holding her breath and turning blue, he decided to let Amy know the truth. "I'm just kidding, it's amazing." He laughed.

Amy let out her breath, her neutral expression turning into a teasing glare as she still suppressed an amused smile and bumped him on the shoulder with her fist for messing with her like that. "You just think you're so funny, don't you?" She pulled her arm back to pick up her fork again, that smile finally curving her lips. She could appreciate a good sense of humor, not always having one of her own when the humor was directed at her and often taking jokes too seriously to heart, but she was working on it.

"Not only funny but pretty charming too," Ty joked, making Amy playfully roll her eyes. "No, but I would ask for the recipe if there was even a slight chance I could make anything but a small fire in this kitchen with my oven. Soraya should be scared - she's going out of business soon."

Amy scoffed, highly doubting that, but she'd accept the flattery. It was nice to know the simple things in life were still appreciated.

Ty forked another piece inside of his mouth and looked at Amy and her golden outline. "So… what's the plan with Spartan tomorrow?"

"Uh… I'm not sure. I guess we'll see what sort of mood he's in and go from there." What Amy really wanted was to get him out of that vast field into a smaller area so she didn't waste her energy chasing after him every time he decided to run from her. He seemed to be more accepting of her presence, but if given the option to come to her or run off, he'd choose to run simply because he could. "What we need to do is tap into his natural herd instinct. To show him that he's better off trusting me than being off on his own."

Ty raised his brow because for some reason he was thinking of something else than Spartan. He couldn't shake the feeling that Amy was somehow reaching out to him too, making him trust her, just like she was trying to do with Spartan, and helping him connect with the society again. It wasn't like he would be telling his life story to just anyone, but with Amy, it hadn't been as hard as he thought. With others he was guarded if they knew about his past, but with Amy, he felt ease knowing that she knew now. So maybe she was tapping into his herd instinct a little bit too.

Amy paused and looked up at Ty, setting her fork down to gesture toward him. "Or… you know, you, since he's your horse. I'm just your mediator." Amy tried not to think too much into the meaning behind what she just said, realizing how, yet again, her assessment of the horse could be interpreted in a slightly different way. But it was about the horse. It had always been about the horse from the very beginning

Clearing her throat, Amy set her pie plate down. Ty eyed her carefully while eating his slice of pie. She seemed nervous all of a sudden. "Let me help you clean up a little." She reached for the plate of leftover brisket and carried it over to the counter, grasping any reason to keep her hands busy, though hesitated to pull open any drawers since it wasn't her house. "Do you have some tin foil?"

"In here," Ty said, putting down his plate and leaning toward Amy because she was standing in his way, but she watched him open the drawer rather than move aside to make room. When he pulled out the roll of tinfoil, he could feel Amy's aura or some kind of energy against him. Swallowing nervously, Ty moved his head a little to see her face. She looked coy, almost fragile. "Here it is…" his words were slower and eyes more gentle as he said it.

Amy could feel it too. It was that same strange energy that she felt in the barn earlier when she'd leaned in to help Ty crush the herbs for Spartan. It seemed to electrify the air around them and kept her rooted to the floor though she subconsciously willed herself to step aside to get him out of her personal space. Except her body didn't exactly obey the internal command as she looked from the foil to Ty. Her lips parted with the thank you that became trapped when her breath caught. When her eyes flickered down to his mouth it was like something clicked inside her mind and she looked away to take the foil. "Thank you." It was a fleetest of moments, lasting seconds, but it left Amy's mind in a daze as she once again busied herself with tearing off a section of the foil to wrap up the plate and hand it to Ty to place in the fridge, holding it in front of her almost like a barrier. Ty stepped back and had to calm down his heart a little. He wasn't quite sure what had went through Amy's head, but he was sure what had gone through his: he had wanted to keep her close like that for a little while longer but didn't dare to touch her any more than he had.

"Dinner was great. I haven't had a decent steak like that in a long time." She almost forgot what it was like to have a steak grown right in her backyard. What they served in restaurants back in the city didn't at all compare.

"Steak?" Ty repeated and then recalled where they were and what had happened. "Oh, yeah, steak. Well, you're welcome," he smiled nervously, feeling like he didn't know how to stand or what to do with his eyes or hands. "I'm glad it wasn't a total disaster. And the pie - was phenomenal. Really."

He took the rest of the pie and went to take it to the fridge, hoping he hadn't sounded like a complete idiot. The thing with Amy was that he felt attracted to her, but he didn't know if she was even single, let alone interested in him beyond professional reasons.

But this was what he would get for letting her in - not just in his house, but in his heart and mind. And he knew exactly how this was going to end too. The strangest thing was that he wasn't too concerned about that, even though he knew it was going to mess up everything for months to come - just as he had gotten back to his feet.

When Ty moved to the fridge Amy let out the breath that felt like it was being strangled in her chest. "Good. I'm glad you enjoyed it." Those nerves from earlier that evening before Ty even came to pick her up were back, trembling through her hands and twisting her gut into knots. She didn't know what was happening. Well, she did but was just afraid to believe it because it wasn't her intention and wasn't supposed to happen. The whole point of this trip was to get away from that and focus on finding or fixing whatever was lost or broken someplace along the way, not to further damage it beyond repair. And that was exactly what made her concerned about her own feelings for Ty. Were they genuine or just trying to latch onto something, anything, in the hope that he could fix her. Maybe he could, but Amy was afraid of the possibility of leading him on or diving in only to find out it wasn't like that for him at all. Two days seemed like an awfully short time to develop these feelings for someone, which made Amy also wonder if it was merely his acts of kindness she allowed to mean something more. But as she glanced over at him, recalling the moment in the barn, and the truck, and with Spartan in the field, didn't think so.

"You know, I never did get to finish telling you my story," Amy said as she placed their empty pie plates in the sink, turning to look at Ty. Somewhere along the way their conversation got diverted. Amy would admit she'd been relieved then, but now that dinner was done and dessert cleaned up, the only thing left was to ask for a ride home. But she wasn't quite ready for that yet.


	23. Chapter 23

_Slamming her locker door shut, Amy reached down to grab her bag and threw it over one shoulder as she turned to dart out to the buses. School was over for the week and she wanted to get home to help her mom with Swallow. Marion had been working with the horse for the last couple of weeks to get him over his fear of vehicles. Today was the day they put all of that time and work to the real test. She didn't want to miss it._

_"Amy, wait up!" She paused to look over her shoulder at her friend Jesse Stanton break through the throng of people and approach her with a wide grin. Amy returned his smile and waited for him. "Come on, I'll give you a ride home." He offered._

_Amy hesitated. She really just wanted to get home and getting a ride from Jesse would surely prolong that journey. They'd been hanging out more and more within the last couple months, steadily growing closer. Amy wasn't sure how she felt about him beyond friendship, but she enjoyed his company and couldn't bring herself to say no. Besides, Heartland was only a few miles down the road from Jesse's place. "Sure."_

_"What happened to your Jeep?" Amy asked when Jesse brought her to a sleek black Audi sports model. _

_"Early birthday present from Mom. Ashley got one too." Jesse smiled proudly but Amy only knit her brows at him. Of course. But like a gentleman Jesse opened the passenger door for her, making Amy smile as she climbed in. "Why, thank you," she giggled and dropped her bag at her feet as Jesse went around to the other side. The vehicle was immaculate and had that new car smell. Amy was almost uncomfortable to be in such a fancy vehicle._

_The trip home was devoid of any real conversation, the only voices coming from the blare of the radio that Jesse turned down after they were a few miles out of town. "So I hope you don't mind, but I bought tickets for homecoming." He glanced in her direction._

_Amy's brow rose. "Is this you asking me to go with you?" She wasn't sure if it was cute or lame, but made her smile either way as Jesse shrugged one shoulder. "I guess, yeah. If you want to." He glanced at her, adjusting his grip on the steering wheel. "Do you?" He prompted when she didn't answer right away._

_She hadn't really been planning to go at all, but now that she had a reason and someone to go with, the idea began to intrigue her. However, before she could answer another car pulled up alongside of them with a few of their classmates piled into it, shouting out the window at them and making wild hand gestures that clearly indicated they wanted to race. "Jesse, don't." Amy said when his foot pressed down on the accelerator and the Audi jumped to life to catch up with the other car that shot ahead of them._

_"Come on, Amy. There's no one around for miles. It'll be fun," he insisted, shifting to a higher gear. He was right, the road ahead was straight and flat, making it easy to see oncoming traffic but there wasn't a car in sight besides the competing car to their left. Still, they were in a wooded area and though there may not be people around, there were certainly animals. Either way Amy just wasn't comfortable driving this fast. _

_"Jesse, slow down," her voice rose with anxiety as she gripped the door handle tightly and sat up straighter._

_"Relax. I've got it all under control." Jesse dismissed her, frowning with determination as he punched the accelerator again and the Audi shot forward, causing Amy to press herself back against the seat and stare wide-eyed out of the windshield as the world whipped by. Her heart was pumping as fast as the pistons of the engine as fear began to settle in._

_"Jesse, please. You're scaring me. Slow dow-" The end of her sentence was cut off by her startled scream when an animal broke through the trees a few yards ahead. There wasn't nearly enough time for them to slow down, or for Jesse to even move his foot off the brake before they were tearing by the horse and rider. Amy only caught a flash of the horse shying violently and rearing straight up into the air before they were too far ahead to see anymore but her stomach lurched into her throat when she recognized her mom on Swallow. "Stop! Stop now!" She screeched, whipping her head back around to try and see if they were okay._

_Jesse swore under his breath as he checked his rear view mirror and began to slow the car down. "I'm sorry," he began but Amy wasn't even listening._

_"Go back! We have to go back!" Panic seized her as she twisted her body to try and see out of the windows as Jesse got the car turned around and sped back to where they passed Marion. They could see Swallow throwing his head, looking as if he were pulling at something, and dancing around nervously, jumping and trying to tear backward when the car approached._

_Amy threw herself out of it before Jesse even came to a complete stop, darting the few remaining yards down the road to the scene of the accident where she was finally able to catch the first glimpse of her mother lying in the high grass. "Mom!"_

"I told you that I never tried to help a horse without my mom, but I think it was more because I was afraid to bring back those memories." Amy said slowly as she leaned back against the sink. "Your mom wasn't the only one to die in some sort of accident. Mine did too." She paused and swallowed, lowering her eyes to the wooden counter top and tracing her finger around a knot. "Except it was my fault." Her throat grew tight with the tears she valiantly held at bay, but their threat was evident in her voice. "That's why I moved to the city. I couldn't… face home anymore." She'd been too guilty and heartbroken to stay. Any time she walked passed her mother's room or looked out at the client horses in the barn, before they were taken away, she just folded up inside of herself and forgot to live. Until the day her acceptance letter to university came in the mail and she latched onto it like a life boat to take her away from the pain that suffocated her.

"Hey…" Ty said, put down his plate and moved closer to Amy. His feelings had taken a turn from nervousness to worry. Hovering his hand right next to her shoulder, Ty realized he was afraid to touch her, not just because he wasn't sure about her boundaries but also because he wasn't sure how it would make him feel. Eventually Ty laid the hand softly on her, hoping it would bring her some form of comfort. "You don't have to tell me this if you don't want to," he assured. Yes, he was curious about Amy, but not at the expense of her mood changing so drastically. "Just… We can go see Spartan," Ty offered. "You like looking at him, right?" was his poor attempt to cheer her up.

Amy couldn't help it when a soft laugh forced itself out as she turned her face away from Ty for a moment to regain some of her composure. "Wow, you're really bad at this."

"I know…" Ty sighed a little, wishing he wasn't so helpless.

She was teasing, of course, but it was the only thing she could think of to keep the moment from turning into something really awkward. But she looked back at him with a soft smile. "I wanted to, but I think I needed to more. I haven't told anyone about it before. I've just kind of been pretending it never happened since I moved to Vancouver. Like a clean slate or something, you know?"

Ty nodded, keeping his eyes on her and trying to find a cue to when he could step in somehow, know what to do.

She sniffed and wiped at her nose as the stinging of her eyes subsided. "I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable."

"No, it's fine. I just don't want to make you uncomfortable," Ty said and gently caressed her shoulder. "Like you'd feel you owed me some kind of background story after I poured my heart out for you. I didn't mean to make it so… dark, but it's my past and there's really no way around the darkness. I know I asked about your past, but you didn't have to tell about it," Ty went on, thinking that's why he had not pushed it any further.

Amy understood that Ty told her about himself because for whatever reason he wanted to. She was the one to first ask those probing questions that he could have just as easily refrained from answering, or left out the more unsettling details if he really feared how her opinion of him would change. But Amy appreciated his sincerity, and even more so his honesty. That was what helped her trust in him grow and carried her decision to divulge one of the darker parts of her past as well. But maybe she shouldn't have sprung it on him like she had, since he didn't seem quite prepared enough to meet that part of her that was rather apparent in the way he couldn't seem to stop talking. Amy just stood and studied him with a sympathetic smile, listening while also finding his unease kind of cute.

"I understand it's your right not to. I'm relieved if it's you wanting to tell about it rather than… feeling some kind of pressure. Then again, you're a pretty strong-willed woman, so even if I'd asked you to do something, I don't know if you would do it unless you'd feel comfortable doing it," he babbled, wondering if he was even making any sense. He had a habit of talking too much when he got nervous.

"No, probably not," she answered with a shake of her head. "But I also wanted you to know you're not the only one with a damaging past." One that Amy probably understood better than most. Except where Amy ran from hers, Ty seemed to have stayed.

"I had no idea you had experienced something like that. You just seem so… I don't know, like you have your shit together. I guess I thought all us who have faced some kind of tragedy have this dark cloud hanging above us. But when I look at you… you just shine brightly despite any darkness." He felt clumsy and lowered his eyes after staring at Amy's baby blues for a while.

A subtle disbelieving laugh floated out of Amy's mouth in a breath of air. "That's just from years of fooling myself. Believe me, I'm not all sunshine and rainbows on the inside." Folding her arms in front of her Amy's gaze lowered to the floor. Amy might have let Ty in on part of her depressing past, but that wasn't nearly the whole story. She had more than one skeleton stuffed away in her closet, but tonight didn't need any more depressing vibes. "You either let it bury you or you bury it and do what you can to move on with your life." It was just that sometimes it didn't want to stay buried.

"That's a good way to put it," Ty agreed, looking at her again.

Amy lifted her gaze. "Anyway, I think that's enough sob stories for tonight. Let's go look at Spartan." Their evening had gone so well Amy didn't want to remember it being shrouded in this veil of depression. She placed her hand over Ty's on her shoulder having been aware of that pressure imprinting on her skin despite her attempt at ignoring it like it was no big deal. "But thank you. I'll try not to blind side you next time," she smiled softly and stepped away from Ty, her hand moving with his as it slipped from her shoulder, only letting go when she was too far away to hold on anymore.

Ty kept his eyes on her, feeling the warm touch disappearing from his reach. It took him a while to realize what she had just said and he shook his head a little to jolt himself out of it.

"Hey… I suggested that." A grin spread across his face. "And you told me I'm bad at this," he teased. "Maybe not so bad after all…"


	24. Chapter 24

No, maybe Ty wasn't so bad after all, but all Amy did was shrug and throw a playful grin over her shoulder as they headed outside to see Spartan. It was getting pretty dark by then, making it difficult to see the horse. He just looked like a shadow in the distance. The only thing giving him away was the swish of his tail and occasional belly kick to chase away flies. The darker it got the easier it was for the black gelding to disappear into the night.

"He looks good in this light. Can't even tell he's half crazed he looks so peaceful," Amy said, nudging Ty with her elbow as they sat on top of the fence watching the horse who didn't seem to pay any mind to them. Progress.

"He must appreciate you building his confidence like that," Ty looked at her and couldn't hold back his grin. Ty had not expected Amy to stick around so late, but he was glad she had because he was happy to have some real company besides Remi or the television. "What's your plan for tomorrow? We should probably have an early start. No pressure, but if you haven't noticed, we are running out of days. Unless you've chosen to stay a little while longer…" he had a hopeful tone is voice, but at the same time he directed his eyes to Spartan, so they wouldn't give him away.

For a second Ty almost hoped something bad would happen with Spartan, so Amy would have to stay for few more days. Not something too bad, but just a small setback, something that she knew they could overcome if she had little more time. But then he realized it was wrong of him to wish that. Not only because of Spartan, but because Amy probably had something important to do back at home. Something important to attend to or someone important to hold…

Amy shifted on the fence. If she would be perfectly honest with herself there was really no reason at all that she couldn't stay a couple additional days if she wanted, but that was just it. She didn't know if she wanted to; or if it would be a good idea; or what would come of it if she did. She packed up and left home once and it only left her feeling guilty and lost, so what if doing it a second time resulted in more of the same? This trip was temporary and Amy had a feeling that if she hadn't broken down there in Hudson she'd have turned back and been on her way back to Vancouver by now. As it was, she was still stuck in town for another couple days until the part for her truck arrived and Ty fixed it. So, until then, she wasn't really concerned about it, finding it better to focus her mind on Spartan. He was the one that needed her.

"Yes… well… a couple days is better than none, but you're right we better use every hour we can. Although…" Amy paused on that thought, her gaze wandering to the horse for a moment. "It would be easier if we could get him into a smaller area for me to work with him. This field is to big and too easy for him to evade us if he wants. You have any other friends in town that might let us borrow some fence panels?" If they could get enough panels to construct a temporary round pen, she'd be able to attempt joining up with the gelding to bring them a much larger step closer to gaining his trust.

"Hmm, maybe," Ty went through people in his head. He didn't have friends, but he had acquaintances that he had helped with furniture or other small projects. Maybe they would return a favor. "I have to make few calls. But I think it can be arranged."

Amy smiled and nodded slowly. "Alright. Good. If this goes well you may just see that miracle I told you not to expect." It would be nothing short of a miracle if she could try to join up with Spartan correctly unsupervised, but even more so if it actually worked. It wasn't hard to see Spartan was a proud animal and with pride came acute stubbornness. Amy just hoped this idea she thought would be a game-changer actually worked and didn't leave them back to square one and her looking a fool.

The sun was almost behind the trees and the air was getting colder. Spartan was fading into the darkness and Ty had hard time even telling where the horse stood anymore.

"Come on. I should get you home… or to your place," Ty said and turned away from the fence. "I'm just going to get my keys. Oh, and you probably want that pie plate of yours back. I won't be long. Wait for me at the truck?" he suggested, checking Amy's response.

"Sure," Amy replied as she slid down from the fence and watched Ty head into his house as she walked over to his old blue truck, feeling that disappointment begin to settle in from their evening coming to an end. Once again she was going to spend a long night lying in bed alone, in an empty motel room, tracing the crack in her ceiling when she couldn't fall asleep because her thoughts wouldn't take a break. They became exponentially more active in the stillness of the night when there was nothing else to keep them suppressed and distracted.

Amy did as Ty asked and waited by his truck, but her attention wandered when a motion light came on next to her, illuminating the yard in a synthetic orange glow. She realized then that they were parked next to an old shed or barn she never noticed before. Any time she came over her mind was always focused on Spartan so she didn't pay attention to much else unless Ty pointed it out to her. Wandering over to one of the windows Amy peeked inside, unable to see much in the shadow cast from the light but could tell what looked like tools hanging on the far wall. Probably just his work shop, she concluded, about to go back to the truck when she stopped herself. What did Ty say he was? A carpenter. Her curiosity peaked. She'd seen the table he returned to Maggie's the other day, but hadn't thought anything into it. Now she was interested to see just what it was he did. After a moment of hesitation, thinking it was wrong to just let herself in his personal space without permission, decided the unlocked door was enough of an invitation and the worst he could do was tell her to leave. She was already on her way to doing that as soon as he was ready, anyway. So really, it was his own fault for leaving her unsupervised.

The worn wooden door creaked as she pulled it open. The smell of wood shavings hit her and she took a deep breath. It was a pleasant scent that reminded her of the woodshop class she took in middle school. She stood in the doorway for a moment letting her eyes adjust to the darkness before taking a step inside and feeling around inside the door for a light switch. If she recalled that shop class correctly, there would likely be benches and sawhorses and sharp tools with serrated edges lurking around to ward off intruders like their own personal security system.

Bumping the switch, Amy flicked it on to illuminate the room and all potential hazards that lay within. Her gaze traveled around the perimeter, taking in the tools, machines, and raw materials scattered about in a thin layer of sawdust. Half finished projects and miscellaneous pieces scattered a few different work surfaces, but Amy wandered over to the counter that held what looked like a stool, or maybe part of a chair, three of it's assumed four legs splayed out toward the ceiling. The fourth was at its side, not yet attached. Amy picked it up, running her fingers over the smooth surface carefully in case there were splinters. She admired the craftsmanship, fascinated with how a hunk of tree could be turned into something so detailed and defined.

"That's for the Hanley house," Ty said, standing in the doorway holding Amy's pie plate in his hand. He had seen the light inside the shed as he had walked out of the house. At first Ty had thought some outsider had found the workshop and decided to make money by robbing his tools, but then he had figured a professional burglar wouldn't switch on the lights to do crimes. Ty was so used to being alone, that a thought about Amy letting herself in had not even crossed his mind until almost 30 seconds later. "Even if I wouldn't get the house fixed, at least I can sell the furniture. People pay top dollar for these kind of designs after I'm done."

Amy looked up suddenly when Ty appeared, guiltily holding the incriminating chair leg, waiting for him to say he was ready to go as a friendly way of telling her to get out. He didn't, but Amy still set the wood down where she found it in case that reprimand was on its way.

"Oh," she said a little awkwardly after hearing the phrase "top dollar." With her luck she'd end up breaking it if she stared too long so her eyes admired the unfinished chair for just a moment longer before looking back at Ty. "You're really good. I mean… from what I can tell…which isn't a lot because I really don't know anything about wood. Or… carpentry." Now it seemed to be Amy's turn for the uncomfortable ramble. Ty smiled when he noticed the same thing. They were no longer in her territory and she was stumped for what was appropriate to say. "How'd you learn to do this?" she asked after a pause, figuring questions were good since they gave her answers and the chance to learn about an unfamiliar trade and something more about Ty.

"Probation," Ty said, making Amy's brow lift with curiosity. After sharing his dark secret with breaking the law, he figured this wasn't as scary anymore. "I worked with this carpenter and he taught me everything he knew. It was my saving grace, really. When I was done, I thought I would start fresh, make better choices. But since I didn't have a clean reputation, people weren't too happy to hire me. So I decided to be my own boss. Carpentry was all I knew how to do," he walked inside and looked around, gesturing toward the walls, Amy's gaze following, taking in a more thorough look than when she first entered. "I fixed this place with the money I got after… mom died, and went to flee markets to pick up some nice, old furniture. I fixed them and started selling them, so I'd make money and also get a word out. That's how things picked up. Maggie Duvall, the owner of the diner, has been a huge help. She's had a faith in me when no one else did."

As Ty answered her, Amy started to walk around a little more, feeling more confident in her ability to do so since Ty didn't seem bothered by her letting herself in. Her fingers trailed along the edge of the counter as she eyed the different tools, giving the larger machines with exposed blades a wider berth. "You seem to be doing pretty well for yourself now," she said when she made her way back around to Ty. If he hadn't told her about his troubled past, Amy probably never would have guessed on her own. He looked like he was the one that had his shit together, as he'd said of her earlier.

"Well, I live a pretty simple life… Not much money comes in, not much money goes out," Ty shrugged.

"It looks like you've got a few different things going on to keep you busy." Amy picked up a level from the table next to her, tipping it one way then the other to watch the bubble drift through the tube of green liquid, her eyes catching Ty's for a moment. "Sorry. I get hands-y when I'm curious," she apologized with a soft laugh, setting the level down. "They just love me at museums."

"You're in luck, because this is not a museum," he said and put down the plate for a minute. As he walked over, Ty kept his eyes on a small cabinet he had been working on. "This is like an amusement park for people who like to touch things. Of course not everything, but so far you haven't crossed the line. I'm pretty hands-y as well. I like touching things, get a feel of them. Sometimes tiny things can make all the difference. Like try this for example," he opened his palm and asked for her hand.

"Good, I wouldn't want to get kicked out." There was a grin fighting to make its way on Amy's face when Ty said he was hands-y and liked to touch things, too. She knew he didn't mean it like it sounded, but of course her mind went where it didn't belong and made her almost blush from embarrassment even though she couldn't help it, but kept her cool as she slowly reached out to give Ty her hand.

Ty took Amy's hand by cupping it inside his and guided it toward the cabinet. He felt nervous, so instead Ty tried to move his focus to what he was about to show her.

"Feel this…" he said and adjusted her palm gently on top of the furniture, caressing its surface with the help of his hand. Amy shifted closer so her arm wasn't at an odd angle, feeling the smooth finish of the cabinet. "I've only applied two layers of varnish here… but in here," Ty removed her hand to the side of the cabinet, "there are three layers. Now, you might not feel it at first - or see it if your eye isn't that trained - but if you close your eyes and focus, it's just so obvious. Sometimes we rely too much to what we see instead of what we feel," he chatted, starting to realize how close Amy was to him.

Amy's forehead creased into a thoughtful frown as she felt the two sides of the cabinet, trying to make out the differences Ty was trying to point out. It was hard enough to notice without his hand covering hers like it was, but she tried to force her mind to focus on what he was trying to show her. She still didn't get it. "They feel the same to me," she admitted, turning her eyes up toward him. "What does it feel like to you?" she asked, wondering if maybe she'd feel it too if she understood what it was she should be feeling.

Ty's eyes fixed on Amy. He was sure he had heard that she spoke, but her words didn't make sense to him all of a sudden. All he could realize was that he wanted to kiss her. Slowly, his gaze traveled down on her face, stopping at her lips. He opened his mouth, not sure what for. To speak? To let out a breath? Or to go in for a kiss?


	25. Chapter 25

It took a slow moment for Amy to realize Ty hadn't heard her even though he was standing right there looking at her. She watched his green gaze drift down, her blue one following close behind. She went deaf from the sudden pounding of her heart in her head when she realized the moment they'd fallen into. The blood rushed up so fast it began to make her lightheaded. Swallowing, Amy's lips parted to match his, her breath coming out slow and shallow as she waited. Her body buzzed with nerves, unknown to her if they were rooted in anticipation or fear. Maybe a little of both.

"It's-s…"

A word finally came out, even though Ty didn't know where he was going with it. But at least it made some kind of difference to get the time moving again. He forced his eyes toward the cabinet, swallowing dryly and trying to think of another word to go with it. "The… uh, like… there's… this… roughness that… you can feel, so it's really… yeah." With the way he spoke, Ty could have been a runner-up for Miss South Carolina Teen USA 2007. He wanted to sigh out of embarrassment, but somehow kept his cool while the warm thought of Amy's closeness almost burned a hole through his clothes.

For a moment Amy was confused when Ty stuttered through his belated response to her question, then felt a little stupid for thinking something else was going to happen. Maybe she completely read that moment wrong or sent him some kind of weird mixed signal that made him suddenly uncomfortable. She hadn't meant to and now felt bad about bringing them there. She pulled her eyes from him to look at the cabinet too, sliding her hand away from his to give him back a little more of his personal space. "I guess my eye needs a little more training," she finished, trying to find a way to guide them back to more comfortable ground without making it into an even worse awkward moment. "Is this one for the Hanley place, too?"

"Yeah," Ty got some relief from Amy distancing herself from him physically and through words. It was not that he wouldn't have liked her close like that, but he didn't want to mess anything up. They got along great, she had brought a lot of light in his life, and more importantly she was making progress with Spartan. It would be unfair to the horse to risk his last chance with Ty's own personal needs. No one had gotten through to Spartan like Amy had and they were already running out of time as it was. Cleaning up some kind of a mess was not part of the plan. "I kind of want to keep it there, if the house ever gets done…" he sighed, worrying that no right buyer would ever come along.

Though she intentionally tried to recover what had turned into a very strange moment, Amy's head was still trying to figure it out and make sense of what happened or might have almost been ready to happen. She really wasn't sure anymore if it had all been in her head or not from the way Ty ran with her segue as if it hadn't, but Amy was too afraid to ask (and really had no idea how) so she went along with it too. "Things always have a way of working themselves out. Some day someone's going to come upon that listing like I did, or just happen to drive by and catch their eye and it'll be like fate brought them there. And with a little bit of strategic staging from your fine carpentry skills, they'll see what could be and won't be able to turn away. You just wait, it'll happen." Amy nodded, fully believing in her prediction. The place didn't look like much now, but the potential was there and there were people out there who would see it too and believe in it and want to see it through. "Just don't give up on it."

Ty smiled at Amy's optimism and nodded, but was left wondering if they were still talking about the house or something else. His mind seemed to have a habit of thinking things not only through Spartan and the house, but through himself as well. He had always thought that loneliness was the best way to get to know yourself, but ever since he had gotten to know Amy better, he had done soul searching worth years.

"I have some drawings here about the house, some visions," Ty said and moved closer to his sketch book. "I'm no Picasso, so don't expect much," he added and spread the sketches for her on the table. His hands were still shaking a little, so he tried to clench them to get some grip. "But then again, if I was Picasso, the chair would probably have legs pointing from the sides and limp clocks on it without any logical reason…"

Laughing softly, Amy shifted over to peer at the drawings Ty was laying out for her. "Dali," she corrected with a little amused smile, glancing up at Ty as she pulled a page closer to her. "The melted clocks were by Salvador Dali. His most famous painting was called The Persistence of Memory and it basically symbolizes a dreamscape and how time has no purpose in dreams because there's no way to keep track of it. That's why they're," she stopped when she realized she'd been ready to go off on a tangent about Surrealism and before she came off as a know-it-all when Ty could probably care less, "uh, melting. At least that-that's just how I interpreted it when I took art history in college," she stuttered and her voice faded out near the end as she forced her eyes, and her thoughts, back to Ty's sketches.

"See?" Ty sighed and blushed. "Here I try to impress you and you outsmart me…" He had already felt like Amy was way too good for him anyway, but now he had to admit she was definitely out of his league.

"Well, considering you aren't a painter I won't hold that against you," she smiled, smoothing her hands across the paper. "These are pretty good. I like this open concept idea for the dining room." She traced her finger along the pencil walls. Her head tilted to the side, taking in every little stroke of detail Ty penciled out on the paper.

An idea of her own struck her suddenly and she reached for a nearby pencil. "May I?" she asked, making her intention of altering the sketch known by gesturing toward the pencil, waiting for Ty to grant her permission before just picking it up.

Ty made eye contact, nodding a little. He was interested to see how Amy saw the house and what ideas she would have.

Leaning over the table, Amy drew careful architectural lines extending along the front of the house. "You should make that porch bigger. It's got a pretty great view of the sunset."

Ty turned himself toward her, keeping the distance between them reasonable and putting his weight on his left leg to see Amy's lines on the paper. He hummed after a while.

"Hmm, yeah. I guess I've been too focused to keep the original look that I've completely shut out the possibility that some improvements could be made outside as well," Ty spoke and envisioned himself sitting on the porch, watching as the sun was setting behind the trees. "Good one. The world has lost a good architect in you," he grinned and glanced at Amy playfully.

"Maybe I was one in another life, who knows. But really the bigger porch makes room for people to enjoy sitting out in the evening, or morning. We had a big wrap-around porch at my house growing up. We spent quite a bit of time out there." That was another thing Amy missed from home. Her apartment in Vancouver was on the third floor and only had a small balcony overlooking the parking lot. Needless to say she didn't take advantage of it for the picturesque view. But with a piece of property like the Hanley place, there was plenty to sit and admire. "And quite a bit in here," Amy said suddenly, realizing she'd been dawdling satisfying her own curiosity, but if Ty wasn't overwhelmed or put off by her nosiness then she didn't feel so bad. Unless he was just trying to be polite and raging on the inside for her to shut up so he could take her home. In case it was the latter, Amy gave him an out. "I guess I should get back if we want to get an early start." She didn't even know what time it was exactly, unsure of how long they'd lingered in the shop, but it felt like a little while. The last thing she wanted to do was to overstay her welcome, especially when Ty was kind enough to be her chauffeur over these few days.

"Yeah," Ty said, but did not make any attempts to leave. "Look, this might be a strange question to ask, and just know you don't have to say yes, but I was just thinking what's the use of driving to town, and then me driving back here, if I'm just going to come pick you up in few hours anyway? I guess what I'm asking is would you like to stay over…?"

He hoped that Amy didn't feel like she was pressured into anything, because Ty really could drive her back to her motel with no problems, but had figured she could just as well stay for the night. He had a quite a big house, so she could get some privacy for herself if she needed some time off from him. "I even have food now, unless you want to try my infamous beans," a grin crept on his face.

Amy would agree it was a strange question to ask when there were moments when Ty didn't even seem comfortable having her in close proximity. Inviting her to spend a whole night was a bold move, especially considering they didn't really know each other that well. She supposed accepting the offer to spend a night in the home of a practical stranger would be just as brave of her, or stupid. But she didn't feel any threatening vibes from Ty at all. If he had intentions of trying anything he had more than ample opportunity. Plus, his reasoning did make sense. It was kind of pointless to make so many extra trips unless he had other errands to run in town.

"Oh. Um, I guess it is kind of silly to drive back and forth. Gas can't be cheap for that truck of yours." Her hand slid away from the sketches as she set the pencil down. "I really don't mind staying. It's just that my bag is back at the motel. So I don't have anything to change into. I mean, I don't mind wearing the same outfit twice, but I'd rather not sleep in it too," she admitted as she jokingly scrunched her nose in disgust. She really didn't have any issue with spending the night except for the fact all she had with her were the clothes on her back and her cell phone.

Ty smiled at her joke and thought about it for a moment.

"Well, there might be something for you to wear." He recalled some of Kerry-Anne's clothes that she had left behind. Even if it had been a while since she had left, Ty had yet to throw anything of hers out. He had collected all her items and clothes in a box and hidden it inside of his closet. At first Ty had expected her to come back to collect her things, but after a while the box just became one of his skeletons.

Spending the night in a guy's house was one thing, but Amy wasn't so sure how she felt about wearing the clothes of one she wasn't dating. She hoped he didn't plan on giving her anything of his dead mother's. Not that there was anything wrong with that; it was just a little weird. But she reminded herself of her promise to take things in stride and figure what the hell. "Okay, thank you."

"Come on. Let's go inside." Ty arranged things back to their places and then walked over to the plate, handing it to Amy. "Here."

On their way back to the house, Ty kept mulling over Amy's suggestions about the Hanley house.

"It might seem a little strange, but I think I've pinpointed why the thought of a bigger porch never occurred to me. I don't think I've ever spent time on a porch with anyone but myself. And Remi, of course. I just never had that habit, you know. I grew up in an apartment in the city. We didn't even have a balcony. I was never part of a happy family that sits on a porch and just… relaxes. Is that sad? That I don't even have a vision of people doing so?" Ty glanced at her.

Clicking her nails lightly against the edges of the glass pie plate, Amy glanced back at Ty, slowly shrugging one shoulder. "No. We're all brought up with different family backgrounds so we see the world in our own unique ways. There's nothing wrong or sad about that." She smiled softly at him as they reached the door and Ty opened it for her. Pausing in the doorway, she turned to look back at him. "It just means that now you have something new to experience."


	26. Chapter 26

_The dripping of water was the only sound in the crime scene. Ty's eyes followed the stains of blood on the floor right up to the bath tub and then back to the floor again. He felt sick and empty. The blood had turned brown now and would have almost been unrecognizable had there been less of it, but the way it had spread across the tiles made it clear that something bad had happened here._

_"I can clean it up," Kerry-Anne offered. _

_"No. I can do it. I'm not afraid of blood…" Ty said and stood there in the doorway as his body was unwilling to make any kind of movement._

_"I know, but… it's not about the blood, is it?" Kerry-Anne said and pushed through. She went straight to one of the cabinets and took out a rag. Ty swallowed and knew she was right. He wasn't scared of the blood, but he was scared of what it meant, even if he tried not to be. The blood was a reminder that earlier today he had become an orphan, that he had lost his mother._

_Kerry-Anne reached out unplug the tub so the bloody water would run down the drain then took the shower head. She sprayed the water on the floor and the side of the tub, feeling like she wasn't really in her body as she did all of this. Kerry-Anne knew she was in shock, but somehow she still kept going. Ty, on the other hand, was unable to do anything. She didn't blame him for it, but saw it as an opportunity to help him and pay him back for all the good things he had done for her._

_"You can go rest. It's fine," she told him._

_"It's not fine…" Ty said with a shaky voice. He finally stepped in and determinedly walked over to the cabinet to grab another rag for himself. Kerry-Anne shut down the water and put the shower head away so she could take the rag away from him._

_"Ty, go rest. It's been a long day." She wasn't asking, she was telling him._

_"No!" Ty protested and tried to fight away from her arms._

_"You're exhausted," Kerry-Anne noted. "It's better if you just let me—"_

_"It's my fault…!" Ty began to cry. "It's my fault she's dead. It's my mess, I have to—"_

_"Hey… hey…" Kerry-Anne wrapped her arms around him and tried to comfort him. Ty was shaking and he was clutching his hands against his chest. It was like there was a hole inside of him and it was sucking everything in. "It's not your fault. Just breathe… Just breathe…" _

_They gently fell on the floor into a sitting position as Kerry-Anne kept soothing him._

It was there somewhere, he was sure of it. Ty went through his closet and moved things out of the way. After a while, the carefully closed box surfaced behind random piles of junk and worn out clothes. Ty pulled it out and opened the lid. He looked at the remains of his love life, arranged in this small cardboard box. Things that brought memories now as he gazed at them, but he had forgotten even existed.

It was not the time for reminiscing, so Ty dug out an old AC/DC t-shirt and a pair of sweat pants, taking in their smell to know if they were even wearable. There was a distant scent of Kerry-Anne's perfume, but it was covered with whatever laundry detergent they had had at the time of her departure. These would do. Ty finally stood up and carefully kicked the box out of the way as he headed back to Amy.

Except for the entryway and the kitchen, Amy hadn't seen any other part of Ty's home until now. She didn't explore any further than the living room where he'd left her to find something for her to change into, but took advantage of his absence by taking closer looks at the photographs she noticed scattered about the room. There weren't many, which was surprising if this had in fact been the home of Ty's mother. Her own childhood home had been covered floor to ceiling in family photos from all stages of life as far back as her great-grandparents. Some had been taken down to make room for newer ones, but still kept accessible in their family albums. Maybe that's where most of Ty's mother's photos were kept, rather than displayed. But Amy smiled softly at the ones she saw of who she assumed was Ty as a toddler being held by his mother and some later ones when he was older, but there weren't any in between. The one with young Ty held her attention, though, and she picked it up from the mantle to get a better look.

"It might not be your favorite band, but I guess it'll fit you better than any of my t-shirts," Ty said and felt weird for even thinking that Amy would wear something of his. Not that seeing Amy wearing Kerry-Anne's clothes was going to be any less weird…

Quickly, Amy replaced the picture from where she took it, turning to Ty and looking down at the clothes he held for her. "Not exactly, but I won't discriminate," she joked, taking the clothes from him with a thank you. She didn't really have a favorite genre of music or band, just enjoying songs independently regardless of artist or style. A t-shirt was a t-shirt and Amy was grateful for whatever Ty pulled out for her to wear. She loved her jeans but they weren't the most comfortable to sleep in.

"Is this your mom?" She decided to venture the question while they were still standing there in front of it, pretty sure Ty had seen her with the picture a moment ago. Ty looked at Amy, feeling the nervousness turning his stomach. He felt different here inside the house. In the workshop everything had been more neutral, or maybe hopeful in some way, as the crafts were showing that Ty was working toward something new. But inside the house was where the ghosts of the past roamed. No matter how understanding Amy had been about everything so far, she was still going to spend her night here and Ty was worried it would be too much for her with no way out.

"Yeah…" Ty said, glancing at the photo. He walked closer and took the frame from the mantle. "And me. Dad must have taken this…" He looked at his mother who looked so happy, so full of life. This had had to be around the time things had started to get worse. Ty could recall Lily going on and on about the photo, but he had never been too interested to listen.

His dad had been there to look after her during that period, but after his passing, Lily had been left alone with Ty. He had not known what his mother was going through until much later, since his parents had always hid it so well from him. Ty had just assumed that everyone's mother was like his - that sometimes they could be cleaning up the kitchen three o'clock in the morning or sleeping for a week. Maybe if he had known more, things would be different now.

Ty put the picture back and coughed to clear his throat. "I'll give you some privacy. Would you like some tea? I could make us some."

As with every time before when Amy sensed she tread on a touchy subject with Ty that made him visibly uncomfortable, she just let it go. She was curious to learn more about him but it was obvious that asking of his family wasn't the best way to do it. The same could be said of her, which she supposed sort of made her into a hypocrite.

"Sure," she answered, giving him the excuse he seemed to be seeking to avoid another awkward moment. Sighing quietly, Amy watched him head to the kitchen before her eyes drifted back to linger on the picture for another moment. "You look a lot like her," Amy remarked quietly to herself, wanting to say it to Ty but figured it was best to just keep it to herself as she wandered down to the bathroom to change.

The clothes Ty gave her were obviously women's as they fit her almost perfectly. That made her involuntarily question a few things as she stared at herself in the mirror that hung behind the bathroom door, trying to imagine the woman that these clothes first belonged to. Ty never really mentioned any girlfriends before, but then again Amy had never bothered to ask either. Maybe she should have, but Ty didn't act like a guy that was in a relationship.

Out of curiosity, Amy opened the cabinet above the vanity, finding razors and deodorant and other typical male things. But it was opening the drawer below the vanity that had her head reeling when she noticed an open box of tampons and other obviously feminine products. Stupid, stupid, stupid. She should have known better and now really felt like a fool for thinking there was more to Ty's kindness than simple western hospitality. Of course there wasn't because that was just how her life always worked out and why she never allowed herself to get attached to anything, or anyone, anymore.

Ty noticed he had Highway to Hell stuck on his head as he was putting the kettle on. He knew it was the result of giving Amy Kerry-Anne's t-shirt, but Ty also hoped it wasn't some kind of premonition about what was to come. As much as he liked to think he was over Kerry-Anne and the mess she had left behind, he had to admit that seeing those clothes had brought back memories about times that had not been that bad - when Kerry-Anne had actually been there for him. It had taken time to pick up the pieces and drag himself up from the earthly hell that Ty had found himself in a few years after his mother's suicide and weeks after Kerry-Anne's exit. At first Ty had felt relief when he had seen the house empty, but after a while he had realized he had also found some kind of weird comfort in their misery. Now that he was back on his feet, he wasn't too happy to revisit those memories, not even the good ones, because they never lead to anything good. Ty didn't want Amy to witness some kind of mental breakdown, if that were to happen now because of Kerry-Anne. But he tried his best to focus on the present and not give too much power to the past.

Amy shut the drawer and gathered her clothes when she heard the shrill whistle of the tea kettle, rethinking this decision of staying the night as a bad idea if it was going to end up causing some sort of lover's quarrel because things like this were always misunderstood and taken out of context. But, once again, Amy wasn't entirely sure how to approach the issue as she flopped down on the couch and began to meticulously fold her clothes for no reason other than to have something to keep her busy.

"Okay… Are you decent?" Ty asked, holding two cups of green tea in his hands. He was still lingering in the kitchen, waiting for Amy's response. "And also, do you use milk, sugar or honey in your tea?"

Was she decent. Amy almost scoffed to herself. Apparently that was part of her problem. But of course Ty meant was she clothed, in which case her answer was "in a manner of speaking." "Yeah, you're good," she said, keeping her alternate wise-cracking comments reined in as she got off the couch to help Ty with the tea. As he handed the cup to her from the tray, Ty quickly glanced at Amy and the clothes, remarking this moment as "weird" inside his head.

"I've got it, thanks," she told him, taking one of the mugs. God forbid the girl who owned these clothes walked in to see not only some strange woman wearing them, but the guy she supposedly had claims to making two cups of tea so late in the evening. Amy had been that girl, she had sympathy for her. The last thing she wanted was to be on the other end of that discovery. The dirty secret. The home-wrecker. For once it really wouldn't be like that, but being that girl she knew how hard it was to believe it when proof was staring you in the face.

Ty sat down next to Amy after putting down the tray, wondering where he should look. Lowering his gaze, he decided the tea was interesting enough to hold his attention.

"Your mom wasn't an AC/DC fan, was she?" Amy asked, locating the sugar bowl and adding a small scoop to her tea. As odd as she'd feel wearing Ty's dead mother's clothes, she almost preferred it to learning of their true origin. Maybe.

"What? No," Ty laughed. It was enough to break the fragile ice that had started to form after he had handed her the clothes. "I think she might have been more like… Joni Mitchell type."

"Oh, that makes more sense." Amy laughed softly, slightly relieved about that but at the same time really wondering where exactly these clothes came from.

Ty realized Amy was wondering why he happened to have women's clothes at hand, especially since it was pretty obvious that he lived alone. To avoid scary assumptions like he had kept them as a keepsake from the previous innocent girl that had had the courage to step inside of his house and since disappeared, Ty decided to be honest.

"The clothes are… my ex's," he said and looked at Amy, taking in her reaction. "She left them behind. I just thought maybe you'd be about the same size."

And there it was. The admission Amy sought. She figured Ty would have past relationships, everyone did - good, bad, or indifferent. Things were always left behind, it was just a matter of whether the aftermath was amicable enough for the person to get them back or if, as Amy had done, they were just thrown in a dumpster in a back alley. If they wanted it, they could dive for it. She hadn't wanted anything left behind she could even find by mistake. Cutting any and all ties. Ty apparently had a different sort of break up, or maybe just felt differently about his than she did hers if he left whatever his ex left behind where it sat. Ex or not, though, the fact that that stuff was still lying around made Amy cautious. Blame it on past experience, but she learned to be more careful when it came to getting involved with someone, no matter how long or well she thought she knew them. But she again took a moment to remind herself that wasn't what this was about. Her goal here was Spartan and her only involvement with Ty was helping him create a trusting relationship with the horse in exchange for a repair job on her truck. That was it. Everything else was just fluff, unimportant filler. So what if Ty's ex left her stuff behind. That wasn't Amy's business, or her place to even care. Except, the longer she stayed the harder it was to maintain that focus and she couldn't seem to help herself.

"Yeah, pretty close," she remarked, tugging at the bottom of the t-shirt and glancing down at the design, unsure of what to really say on the topic of Ty's ex. That couldn't be any better territory than his mom and even Amy was reluctant to go there.

Ty noticed Amy carefully dodged the whole ex thing and he felt relieved for not having to explain her more about Kerry-Anne - though he had to admit he was surprised too. Usually people commented something about it or even said an overly-sympathetic "oh…", but not Amy. Maybe that was what made her so different; she could sense when something was unwanted. And this topic really was.


	27. Chapter 27

_Terror-fueled adrenaline propelled Amy forward at a rate of speed she never before possessed. She didn't even hear Jesse's own footbeats pounding after her over her heavy breathing. _

_"Mom!" Even from there she couldn't see Marion moving and Swallow was so spooked Amy was afraid he'd kick or step on her in his blind panic._

_She slowed down when she drew close, more for the horse's benefit. His rein had gotten caught around an old fallen log and Amy could see his hindquarters trembling as he danced around the tree and Marion in attempt to get away. "Easy, boy. You're okay." She spoke slowly and quietly to the horse, but even she couldn't fake calm. She wasn't calm, not at all, and Swallow knew it. He could sense her fear which only fed into his, making him snort, his eyes rolling white as he jerked his head up. Amy stopped when his front hooves lifted off the ground, pulling the caught rein tight until it snapped and broke him free._

_"No! Swallow!" Amy bolted forward again as the horse darted into the cover of the trees. There was no way she'd be able to catch him and for once the horse was the least of her concerns. There were farms and ranches all around them. Someone would find him eventually. _

_Jesse had since caught up with her, moving a step ahead of her so he reached Marion's side first. Not that it mattered. Amy was going to see exactly what he saw, which was a dire situation. The amount of blood was sickening from the gash to Marion's head where she'd struck it on a rock, or maybe Swallow had gotten her after all. It was hard to tell. Either way, it knocked her out cold, leaving both Amy and Jesse afraid to touch or move her. "Mom! Wake up. Please." Her teary eyes darted to Jesse who looked stricken and as if he was about to be sick. "Do something!" She shouted at him. _

_He looked at her, his mouth hanging open as he struggled for speech. Nothing came out but stuttering nonsense. "Call an ambulance!" She instructed since he seemed incapable of independent thought. She'd do it herself if she had a cell phone, which was something he'd always bugged her about. Now she could see how it would be useful. _

_His brain seemed to click into place then and he got up and dashed back to the car for his phone that he'd left behind, leaving Amy to shift on her knees around her unconscious mother. "Come on, Mom." Her voice shook as tears cascaded down her face. Reaching out she touched her arm, trying to give her a gentle shake to wake her up. Nothing. Sniffing she bent her head to place her ear against her chest trying to listen for a heartbeat but hers was so loud she couldn't hear anything above it. The first aid unit they had in health class was garbled in her mind and totally useless to her now because she couldn't think straight. She couldn't do much more than cry and call out to Marion in hopes that she'd regain enough consciousness to hear her._

_Jesse returned with his cell phone tight in his grasp, informing her the ambulance was on its way, but time wasn't on their side. It felt like they waited on the side of that road for hours until they heard even the faint blare of the sirens. They were shooed aside when the paramedics finally did arrive and leaped from the bus with a stretcher, taking great care in assessing Marion's condition. _

_"She's still breathing," the first informed them, much to Amy's relief. The other got on the radio and called for a chopper to take Marion to the large hospital in the city. Out where they lived the medical centers weren't equipped for severe traumas such as this, which left even more time against them. Not to mention a helicopter couldn't land in their location with the thick forest on either side, so the ambulance had to meet it in open space. _

_Amy scrambled to her feet when they had Marion on the stretcher and were carrying it to the back of the vehicle. Jesse reached out to take her arm. "Amy-" he started, trying to find a way to again apologize, or say some words of comfort, but she didn't even give him the chance to finish speaking before she was jerking her arm away from him._

_"Don't touch me! This is your fault! It's all your stupid fault!" She sobbed, both angry and upset tears now gliding down her face. All because he was a stupid boy with his fancy fast car. She shoved him away from her as she climbed in the ambulance with her mother, leaving Jesse alone on the side of the road. She didn't even care if she'd hurt him or that he stood there staring after the bus after the doors slammed shut and it sped away or that he then turned and headed into the trees where Swallow disappeared to track down the animal himself._

_She was too preoccupied with watching the paramedics, hearing their exchange of instructions and vital readings, sitting still as a statue listening to the slow beep of the portable heart monitor and the methodical manual pump of oxygen into her mom's lungs. She reached out slowly to take her hand, feeling it's warmth and softness despite the constant farm work. There was a weird stillness in the ambulance like she'd been sucked into some sort of vacuum, the sounds falling away as she just focused on that warmth in her hand. It was broken only by a sudden bustle of activity that made her let go. The world slammed back into her senses from the broken connection and the next thing she heard was the electronic whirring of defibrillator paddles as they charged above the deafening hum of the flatline coming from the heart monitor. Amy's blood ran cold through her veins as she watched, horrified, as her mother's body jolted from the shock of the paddles. Nothing happened. Again they charged. Again nothing happened. _

_"M-mom?! Mom, no!" A new round of hysterical tears erupted from her. One of the paramedics had to actually push her back to keep her from getting shocked herself when she reached out to grab Marion. "Mom!" She screamed, fighting the man restraining her. "Mom!"_

"Mom!" Amy shouted in her sleep, thrashing on the couch in Ty's living room. Sweat gathered around her hairline and her face was moist with real tears as she jerked, continuing to struggle against the imaginary paramedic who doubled as a form of sleep paralysis to keep her from actually getting up off the couch.

"Amy… Wake up, Amy," Ty tried to shake her gently, hoping he wouldn't scare her too much when she'd finally come around. He had heard Amy's cries from his bedroom and had then rushed to see what was going on. Finding Amy breathing heavily and turning her head like she was in pain while rest of her body was still, Ty hadn't even worried about what to do with her or how to touch her right - he had just followed his instincts. Amy was probably having a nightmare.

Even Remi had been worried about her. The dog had scratched the bedroom door until Ty had gotten up from his bed to open it for her. A strange noise in this house was always something that would creep Ty out. Remi mostly kept by his bedside since she had gotten used to the usual noises that the house kept, but sometimes she would alert him about a moose or a deer that was passing through the yard, proving that she was an excellent house guard. So as long as the dog was calm, Ty was calm.

At first Ty had not been sure what he was hearing. A faint cry had since then turned out to be a word: mom. It felt spooky. For one, the word itself had already been up in the air tonight and brought back a lot of memories. And secondly, it was strange to hear a woman's voice again inside of this house.

Amy was aware of someone touching her, but it took her a startling moment to decipher between what was real and what had been in her head. Her whole body twitched one last time as she tore herself from the nightmare, seeing someone standing above her and sitting bolt upright, instantly on the defensive. She was breathing heavily like she'd just run a great distance even her heart was racing. She looked around the dark room to get her bearings, slowly remembering she was on Ty's couch. Her eyes landed on him and she took a deep breath when the recognition set in.

"You scared me," she muttered, still a little dazed from sleep.

"Sorry… I didn't mean to…" Ty apologized, slowly letting go of her.

Swallowing she shifted to sit up, running a shaking hand through her hair, feeling the dampness beneath it and tears on her face. She hadn't had a night like this in a long time. It was strange that it would happen now, but if she thought about it maybe not so much considering the events that unfolded over the last couple of days and the topic she and Ty had been discussing before they turned in.

"Did I wake you?" she asked, clearing her throat and trying to find some way to bring her mind, that still felt like it was grappling between worlds, back to full reality.

"Yeah, but it's alright," said Ty and sat at the edge of the small coffee table that was right next to the sofa. It was enough space to give Amy some room, but close enough for calming her down if needed.

Ty was studying Amy and even though it was dark, he could tell her face was pale and sweaty. Her breath was labored, though it seemed like she was easing up slowly. "Are you okay…? Can I get you some water?"

Amy shook her head. "No, I'm okay. Thank you," she answered quietly about the water. She couldn't say the same in other ways. It had been years since she had such dreams - nightmares - where she woke up longing for home and her mom and her old life back only to have to fight through the crushing weight of reality when it settled in that all of that was long gone and not ever coming back. She was feeling it again now, even more so from being in a strange place so far from all that was familiar to her.

"Did I…um…. was I doing anything? Talking?" she inquired tentatively, afraid of what she said or did while unaware of it, and not knowing for how long Ty had been there trying to wake her what he might have heard.

"You did call out to your mom," Ty told Amy, wondering if she could now recall her nightmare through that clue. Or perhaps it was still fresh in her memory and she was ashamed of possibly doing something while sleeping to show her discomfort. "Was… your dream about her?" he asked carefully. Amy had mentioned about losing her mother in an accident, kind of like him, so Ty worried if their talk about his own mother had made some old memories surface for her as well.

A chill ran through Amy's spine as she nodded, having thought as much since that's how she used to wake her grandfather, calling out for Marion. As if she'd wake up to see her mother standing there beside her bed ready to ease her fears and remind her they were just dreams. "It wasn't just a dream," she explained, shifting to fold her legs against her chest. "It was like it was happening again. It felt so real." She paused to lift her hand in front of her face, watching it tremble as it had that day and every disturbed night since. "Probably because it was."

"Hey, it's okay," Ty put his hand back to her shoulder, massaging it carefully. "Just breathe." He wasn't sure what he was supposed to say to her, especially since he didn't know the details of her mother's accident or the dream she had just had, but he could understand the feeling of guilt and the nightmares that would keep bugging her mind for days to come. Maybe it wasn't so much about what he was supposed to say, since rarely it made things any easier, but maybe there was still something he could do for her: offer her a safe place to talk. "Do you wanna talk about it?"

"I don't want to unload my baggage onto you, too." That wasn't fair and Ty really didn't need to hear her sob story. But refusing to talk about it had been what caused Amy to have the nightmares in the beginning. She kept everything bottled up and hidden that it ate her away from the inside out. She finally did open up to her family, though, and while it eased her conscience somewhat it didn't completely erase the events of the day or her guilt. She wasn't sure what talking about it now would do, or if would help at all, but she'd learned her lesson from the past not to go on ignoring it like everything was fine.


	28. Chapter 28

"It's just… working with Spartan and… hearing about your mom… brought it all back." Amy said. Then after a pause added, "She was killed by a horse. One that she was trying to help."

"Oh my god… I'm so sorry," Ty said and felt a little bit of guilt of his own. Not only because he had been talking about his mother, but also because he had unknowingly exposed her to some traumatic elements. "You know, if this is too much for you… you don't have to follow through. It's okay. I won't hold it against you. I want to see Spartan get better, but not at your expense. I can fix your truck and that'll be it. It's totally fine."

And that'll be it. Maybe yesterday she'd have accepted that, but now Amy didn't think it could be that simple. "No, it's not. I want to help Spartan. I chose to get involved. It's not his fault I have some hard memories attached. Or yours." Her gaze drifted to Ty for a moment before she leaned back against the couch, relaxing a little more from her previously tense and protective posturing. "It wasn't really the horse's fault either. He was just afraid and acting on instinct. I tried blaming him for a long time but it wasn't until it was too late that I realized I'd been looking for something to bear my own blame."

A new emotion began to sizzle beneath the surface as Amy became angry all over again with herself for being a dumb teenager. "I was supposed to be with her when it happened. Horses are herd animals and always feel safer with another horse around, but I decided that having a few minutes alone with this guy I kind of liked was more important. So I got a ride home with him and then…" Amy scowled bitterly down at her knees, recalling the race down the stretch of road with resentment. "I didn't know she'd be going that way when the horse was afraid of cars, or that she hadn't waited for me to get home." For a long time Amy tried justifying those facts, but the truth of it was she gave her word that she'd help her mom after school and never attempted to call and let her know she'd be late. She didn't have a cell phone of her own, but Jesse did. If she'd have just taken a few seconds of that silence to make that call, everything would have been different. "I tried to get him to slow down. I should have tried harder. I should have made him stop."

Her breath became heavier again as her eyes brimmed with angry tears, berating herself all over again for being a naive little girl. "I should have taken the damn bus," she spat out, learning forward to rest her arms on her legs and run her hands despairingly through her hair.

Ty felt helpless. He tried to follow her story as best as he could, but there was so much he didn't know. And even if he had, would it have made any difference. He doubted it.

"Sounds to me that it was just an unfortunate chain of events… We never really know which part our actions can play in something. Even if you would have done some of those things differently… who knows, maybe it would have still happened," Ty shrugged. He knew it wasn't very comforting, but Amy couldn't blame herself for everything that had happened. "It wasn't all up to you. All those other people made choices too. Sometimes… things just go horribly wrong."

"I know," Amy sighed. She'd been through this discussion before in similar fashion, but it didn't change how she felt. "Believe me, I gave everyone their fair share of blame, including my mom and even the people who put the road where they did." It had all been a part of her grieving process; her struggle toward acceptance. "But I can't help to think how different things would have been if it hadn't happened. I wouldn't have ever moved to Vancouver." She most likely would have taken some college classes closer to home and continued to learn her mother's ways and help her treat damaged horses.

"I do know I wouldn't be here now," she said as an afterthought. It was the snowballing of events following that accident that brought her here. "So… I don't know, maybe it wasn't such a terrible turn of events." She offered Ty a light smile. Ty smiled right back.

"I'm not glad about what happened to your mom, but I'm happy how you've tried to cope from it, because it has brought you here, to me—or to Spartan, to us," he stuttered a little, not wanting to make it sound like he only had selfish reasons for liking Amy's stay, because while it was part of the truth, it wasn't the whole truth. But what he'd said once again drew Amy's watery gaze and diverted her thoughts from her mother and the nightmare to Ty's workshop and that moment - or almost moment - they maybe shared a few hours ago.

Even though he was feeling a little bit unsure, Ty didn't let his eyes drop like he usually did. Maybe because he was somehow worried something bad would happen to Amy and he would miss it - as if some horrible thing would just turn up out of nowhere and take her away from his reach. Ty wanted to protect Amy as best as he could. He had seen she was no damsel in distress, but doing something for her gave him happiness. Hopefully that happiness could be shared.

Despite the darkness, Ty noticed that Amy had been crying from the small wet trails that had been traced by the tears. He gently brushed Amy's right cheek, letting his thumb touch the tip of her chin like he had been left mesmerized by the softness of her skin.

It felt like it was happening again - something stirred between them - and Amy didn't think she could be that misguided twice in the same night. Then again, her track record with reading into such things wasn't the best and it was dark. Too dark to read into more than what could be seen there on the surface. It was Ty's gentle hand on her face that offered her a deeper look. The simple gesture hinted at words unspoken, or feelings incapable of finding their voice. She could feel his eyes holding onto hers and even if she wanted to Amy wasn't sure she could look away. Though they were sitting apart, a comforting sense of security washed over her like he was folding her up in his arms with his gaze, drawing her in close. She didn't resist, but allowed herself to be pulled in, even encouraged it by initiating the closing of the space that divided them.

Even if Ty could see Amy coming closer - hell, he must have leaned in as well, but couldn't be sure about it now - the touch of her lips on his still took him by surprise. Maybe it was because he could barely remember how it was to kiss at all or feel this sort of intimacy. At first Ty wasn't sure if he should respond, but since it was Amy who had made the first move, he figured it might be okay and she wasn't scared of him.

Ty couldn't deny that kissing Amy had crossed his mind more than few times since she had been there, but he always managed to bury that urge somewhere deep inside of him. His fear of being rejected was now moving aside, but other kinds of terrors were starting to emerge. Could he hold himself back? What if he wanted more, but she didn't? Would this change things? Did he want that? Was everything doomed to be awkward from this on?

Ty felt guilty for ruining the perfect moment by freaking out inside of his head, but he couldn't help it. Having something so good couldn't end well with his reputation.

Trying to distract himself from his thoughts, Ty focused on the taste of Amy's lips, the way she felt underneath his fingertips and the faint smell of her fragrance that lingered around him.

For Amy the kiss was almost freeing, as she'd taken a step forward in one aspect of her life that she kept closely guarded after failing at it so miserably. She'd fended off quite a few suitors over the years from her "games" as they'd labeled what she merely saw as hesitance, uncertainty, and even insecurity. When they pushed she stumbled and when they pulled she retreated. Guys didn't have the patience for that when there were easier girls out there. Whether or not anything would come of this kiss she shared with Ty, Amy at least felt safe enough with him to lower her shield. She'd left herself unguarded and vulnerable through the outpouring of emotion by letting him into her past and her regrets. She'd shown him her weakness and handed him a weapon that could so easily be used against her. But that was the whole point, wasn't it? To show him that whatever this was wasn't just the late hour or the moment, but could be something real if he was willing. It was there just waiting for them to choose to latch onto it. And it made Amy smile against Ty's lips to feel him reciprocate rather than pull away like she was sure he'd done earlier.

The hand resting on her thigh started to move, reaching out to Ty in her desire to touch him and feel more of him, but she stopped herself, afraid of giving him mixed signals in case she ended up balking again as she so often did. Her hand stilled in her lap and her head tipped down just enough to break their lips apart. The soft simper was still on her face as she took a moment to clear her muddled thoughts before tipping her head back up to look at him. "Thank you. For… everything," she said in quiet tone, not bothering to sit back and replace that distance between them as she had before.

"Uhh… no problem," was all Ty could get out. His breath felt moist on his lips and the blush on his cheeks would have probably been enough to heat a small dog house. So… what was that - a thank you? Was this how thank yous were handled? Firm handshake or friendly hug wouldn't suffice anymore? Not that he was complaining, but Ty was confused.

Amy was still close to him, leaving Ty lost in her personal space which to him was a foreign place to be in. He wasn't sure if he was supposed to move or if he could stay like this. Amy wasn't retreating, so maybe he didn't have to either.

When his eyes became used to the darkness and the sight of Amy was clearer again, Ty realized he was torn between what he was seeing. A woman he was possibly slowly falling for wearing clothes that belonged to someone he was trying to forget.

"Do you… need anything else…?" he asked, hoping to get a clear answer that he could just follow since he couldn't figure this out on his own.

Amy leaned back a little, wondering if maybe she'd made too bold of a move too soon. Or if it really wasn't like that and she'd been further off then she thought and Ty kissing her back had only been out of politeness. "No." She cleared her throat and tucked her loose hair behind her ear while lowering her eyes awkwardly to her lap. "No, I think I'm okay now." Maybe. She'd wanted to kiss him since that moment in the shop and it felt good to finally just do it before she didn't and was then left wondering, but now that she had, she still wondered. Mostly what Ty was thinking, and feeling. He was kind of hard to read, even more so in the dark.

"Hopefully I got the nightmares out of my head - for tonight at least." It wasn't always a once and done thing, but now she had something else weighing on her mind that might just be enough to keep the bad dreams at bay.

"Yeah…" Ty nodded, hoping that the kiss wouldn't bring in another set of nightmares. He stood up, but felt like lingering a little while longer. "So… I guess I'll see you in the morning. If you need anything, I'll be in my room," Ty continued, gesturing down the hall. "I could leave Remi here, to keep you company." The Shepherd had already adjusted herself next to the sofa, to guard Amy, and Ty would feel better leaving the dog where she was more needed anyway.

"O-okay. Sure." Amy's eyes lowered to the dog that had laid down in front of her on the floor, starting to feel a little embarrassed that she'd once again made Ty uncomfortable and finding an excuse to leave. Then again, it might keep things from getting even stranger between them if they had a chance to mull over it. Then again, maybe things would be just as weird in the morning. Guess they would just have to find out.

"Good night," Amy said to him before shifting to lay back down on the couch, turning onto her side and running her fingers over the top of Remi's soft head.

"Sleep well," Ty said, before leaving back to his room.

A strange sensation still tickled his lips when he closed the door. He couldn't believe what had just happened. Or was he still sleeping and dreaming all of this? No, it seemed like he was in fact awake, but there was no way he could sleep after that, not with all these thoughts running through his head.

Nights always brought the liberated versions of people to light. Maybe there was something about darkness that made people feel vulnerable and other person's company was something they clung onto, hoping there was more bravery in numbers.

So was their kiss just Amy's way to collect some courage, to thank him or show him how she felt? He was afraid to ask her, because Ty didn't know which answer he'd prefer.

Climbing back to his bed, Ty took his cell phone to checked the clock. It was almost 4 am. Even though he had been sleepy just few minutes prior, when he had went to the living room, he was now full of energy. And tomorrow - or today, actually - was the day before the parts for Amy's truck would arrive. So they only had two days left anymore, or more like one and a half, if Amy wanted to be on her way as soon as the truck was fixed. That meant there was no time to waste, so while knowing he would get one cowboy very angry by making a phone call right now, he wanted to get into something he had promised to Amy earlier.

"Hey, Caleb. I know it's like 4 am and you're really mad I'm calling you at this hour, but I need to ask you a favor…" Ty spoke quietly on his phone.


	29. Chapter 29

As she suspected, and kind of hoped, kissing Ty did in fact keep the nightmares away for the remainder of the night. It kept sleep away, too. Amy laid on the couch for a long time staring blankly into the dark room, using Remi as a sort of security blanket. Though there was great therapy in animals, petting the shepherd couldn't help her figure out her newly conflicted emotions and confused thoughts. By the time Amy did drift off to sleep just before the sun peeked through the windows, she was struck with the realization that she was only going to be around for another two days at best. Then she would be on her way again. Kissing and running wasn't fair and Amy was afraid she might have just made a huge mistake.

She stirred a couple of hours later to Remi licking her hand that was still hanging over the edge of the couch from when she'd been stroking the dog. Morning light illuminated the house in a warm glow as Amy opened her eyes to a pair of soft brown ones. "G'morning, girl," she grumbled with a sleepy smile as she pushed herself up and followed the smell off coffee to the kitchen where she expected to find Ty. Her second good morning died on her lips when she saw it was vacant and in place of the person was a note taped to the coffee maker in his scrawl. Help yourself to whatever you can find. Check expiration dates. The warning made her smile in amusement while she poured herself a cup of coffee and opened the fridge to see just what kind of food Ty managed to scavenge from the grocery store. She ended up helping herself to a bowl of cereal (after giving the milk a cautionary sniff) before going to change back into her clothes from the day before.

Considering she didn't run into Ty during her time inside, Amy assumed that meant he was outside and wandered out into the morning to find him, leaving the door open for his dog to tag along. Though the clanging of metal was easy to follow, Amy trailed behind Remi as the canine led her to her owner and someone else Amy had yet to meet. But it wasn't the curly-haired cowboy that had her attention, rather the large metal panels he was helping to set up. Wow, Ty really was efficient.

"Good morning," she called to get his attention, though she hadn't exactly been stealthy with her approach.

"Morning," Ty said, a rush of images from last night going through his head at the sight of Amy. He wasn't sure how to act around her, but he tried to keep his cool.

"Well damn, Borden, you said she was pretty, but your words didn't do justice," Caleb Odell, a cowboy who lived just few miles away from Ty's place laughed and stopped what he was doing. He dragged his equipment with him as he walked over to Amy, checking out Ty's reaction. Ty shot an annoyed glance at him, but blushed a little at the same time. He had hardly mentioned Amy to Caleb, just that he was having someone over and she was going to help with his horse, and that was why they needed this temporary pen for Spartan. Caleb's words would probably make Amy think that Ty was mouthing everything about her to random strangers. "Just kidding," he laughed as he noticed Ty's glare. "You must be the horse whisperer. Caleb Odell, nice to meet you."

Extending his hand for Amy to shake, Caleb took a quick look at the blonde. Just because he was married, didn't mean he couldn't still enjoy beautiful things - just as long as his wife wouldn't find out…

Amy fumbled when Caleb reiterated Ty's words to him, wondering what exactly it was he'd said to his friend while she was inside asleep. Did he mention the kiss? Her eyes drifted from Ty just before she reached out to take Caleb's hand. "Likewise. I'm Amy, but I'm afraid I can't say he said the same about you," she teased lightly, turning her amused smile onto Ty again when their welcoming shake ended. She hadn't even been entirely convinced Ty had any kind of social life, but that could be because she'd pretty much hijacked all of his time over the last few days, leaving very little for his real friends. It was nice to see that he wasn't totally alone out there in the middle of nowhere.

"I live nearby. I'm kind of a neighbor, if you will. That's what we call people even though they live kilometers away from you," Caleb laughed. "We share the land line and Ty here helps me with the fences sometimes. He's quite handy but not much of a talker. Ideal for me, since I'm not that good with my hands and talk too much."

"You're not bad. I mean, you can hold a hammer," Ty stepped into the conversation, "but less yapping wouldn't hurt," he teased, giving back about Caleb's comment where he had supposedly been spilling everything about Amy.

"Hah, okay, fair enough," Caleb took it with a humor, giving him a friendly glance and then looking back to Amy. "So, Ty tells me you've been good with that horse of his." He nodded toward Spartan who was no closer to the fence at his field, since they had a small distance between and the horse was curious as to what the men were building. "You look like you're still in one piece. What's your secret?" Caleb wanted to know. "I tried to approach him few times, but I soon realized I'm not suicidal. I'm kind of a fan of my dear life."

"There's no secret," Amy told him, peering through the morning sun at the horse. "It's just intuition - horse sense. You learn to read their body language and they'll eventually tell you what you need to know. Spartan's no more dangerous than one of these fence panels falling over and hitting you in the head. Either one would be your own fault for being clumsy or impatient." She walked over to wrap her hand around the cool metal, giving it a tug to test that it was securely in place. "Thank you for helping with this, by the way. I just hope it'll work and I haven't wasted your time and resources." Amy could talk all she wanted about how horses could be so misunderstood and with the right attitude the problems they had could be helped, even fixed, but the truth was they were as unpredictable as any human and much more flighty being that they were prey animals and fairly low on the food chain. Running was their only defense until, as Amy intended to do to Spartan, it was taken away and they were forced to make the decision to fight or give in.

"Not a problem," Caleb said. "We just have few more things to do before it's secure." He got back to it even though he had lot of questions to ask Amy. But then again, Caleb figured he could stick around and watch her work - see what she did for himself. As a cowboy, he too possessed some horsemanship skills, but Caleb was willing to bet Amy had a different kind of approach to handling horses than he did. Even hearing about it from Ty had captivated him.

"Did you eat anything?" Ty then worried. Caleb and he had an early start and kept going for hours, so he had not even eaten breakfast himself. Last night's pie was his latest meal, so he was slowly starting to feel a little light-headed. This happened often: an idea would strike him in the middle of the night so Ty couldn't fall asleep, which was when he would lock himself in his wood shop for hours until he could see the sun getting ready to rise behind the trees. During a creative process, losing track of time was not uncommon for him. "I left you a note, but… wasn't sure how much sleep you would get. Seeing as you seem to like sleeping in," he had to joke a little.

"Sleeping in?!" Amy exclaimed, reaching into her pocket for her cell to check the time since she hadn't bothered upon waking. "It's only… Okay, maybe I did sleep in a little," she reluctantly admitted. It wasn't that late and to be fair she'd had a bit of a rough night and wasn't used to waking up early anymore like she was growing up. "But, yes, I found your note and had some cereal." She figured that would be the simplest option given she hadn't exactly wanted to help herself to his groceries and stove to cook up a whole smorgasbord. "You could have woken me. I didn't even hear you get up." Typically, Amy was a rather light sleeper, but either Ty had taken extra care in being quiet when he woke up or she had really been that dead to the world not to hear him walk right by her.

"Well good, because it was my intention that you wouldn't wake up," Ty said. He waited a while after returning to his bedroom, drawn some basic instructions for a round pen and counted how many panels they would need for it. That way when he had gotten to Caleb's, it was easier to know what they needed to take with them.

"Then don't be complaining about my sleeping in," Amy countered, defending her late-ish morning arousal.

"Look at you two. You remind me of Ashley and I," Caleb laughed and shook his head, adding few more parts where they belonged. To him, this was amusing and he couldn't resist the teasing. Finally the most unattainable bachelor of Hudson was about to be tamed.

Ty turned his head and shot him a glance that suggested that he should just shut up for a change, but the cowboy missed it by focusing on the pen poles. This way Ty would surely just see the rear lights of Amy's truck as soon as the parts for it would arrive.

"His wife…" Ty murmured, then trying to change the subject.

"Oh," Amy nodded and backed down, wondering if they just looked to Caleb as he and Ty looked to her a moment ago with their bantering.

"Could you go check on Spartan? We should be done soon and I just want to make sure he's okay for this."

"Yeah." Amy answered, almost feeling like she was being dismissed so she wouldn't hear Ty's foot being shoved up Caleb's ass. He might have been oblivious to the warning looks Ty was throwing his direction, but Amy wasn't. She stepped away and hooked her thumbs into the rear pockets of her jeans on her walk across the field, twisting to throw a look back at the two men in hopes of catching some part of their subsequent conversation before it would become too obvious that she was trying to eavesdrop. Eventually she was too far away to bother to try and the black gelding that loomed ahead stole her attention.

"I'll pay you for this and I'll pay you extra if you just keep your mouth shut about Amy and I, okay?" Ty almost demanded. Caleb seemed confused.

"Okay, chill, man. I was just joking…" Caleb rolled his eyes.

"Let's— just finish this," Ty sighed in frustration and channeled his energy into finishing the pen.


	30. Chapter 30

Amy sat with Spartan while Ty and Caleb finished constructing the round pen, trying to find that place of mutual respect they almost had the day before. The horse didn't hide his curiosity, and probable mistrust, of the structure as he stood at attention and watched it come together. She made them keep a safe distance while she tried to convince the horse to come closer to it by sweetening the deal with chunks of carrot. She lured him with the treats in her hand, smiling when he stretched his neck to bite the end of the carrot. "Good boy," she praised, taking step after step back toward the pen. The way to any man's heart was through his stomach and Spartan was proof that it didn't seem to matter the species. But it seemed Spartan wasn't so willing to entrap himself for the food when he stopped advancing with Amy a few yards from the gate of the pen. "Come on. It's not gonna hurt ya, I promise." She glanced over her shoulder at the pen, the gate hung wide open in invitation, then at the carrot in her hand, then toward the guys. "We're going to need more carrots," she told them, snapping the one she held into three pieces and lowering down slowly to place one in front of the horse before scooting back and dropping another and then the third further still. Maybe it was silly, even elementary, but unless Spartan would allow her to get a halter over his head or a rope around his neck to lead him into the pen, they needed to get him to walk in on his own.

"What if…" Caleb stepped up, but kept his distance since it had been proven that the gelding got more nervous around men than women, "we built a chute, using fences or ropes and just chase him into the pen? Kinda like we do with cows."

"But would that make him too spooked? Would it be too stressful for him?" Ty worried and turned his eyes on Amy. He knew that Caleb dealt with horses and cows every day, but somehow his way of approaching things was not as gentle as Amy's. And besides, Amy had formed a connection with Spartan and could therefore make more accurate estimates about the horse's behavior than Caleb could. The cowboy's horses were well, for lack of a better term, they were not traumatized, but the same couldn't be said about Spartan. No matter how easy Ty had made things for the horse, he was still not fine. There were scars that were hidden inside his mind that had to be taken into account at all times. They had to be more careful with him and not expect Spartan to behave like any other horse.

"I thought about that, too," Amy answered from her crouched position in front of the horse, watching him lower his head and sniff at the carrot about a foot in front of him. There were a few extra panels they could rig up into a funnel shape and try to herd Spartan down the chute, but it was the narrow pathway that worried her. "He was trapped in a confined space for so long I'm just not sure squeezing him down another would help more than hurt." Once he made it to the pen he'd have more room to run, but what Amy would be doing to him once he was in there was going to essentially shatter every trust she'd gained over the last couple of days anyway, but hopefully only temporarily. She just didn't want to stress him out any more than was necessary.

Standing slowly, Amy dug into her pocket to see if she had any carrots left, but pulled out a small handful of wrapped peppermints from her otherwise empty pockets. "Hang on. I have another idea." Taking one, she put the others back and began to open it, exaggerating the process and making sure the wrapper crinkled as obviously as possible. Spartan's head jerked up at the sound. "Yesterday I realized he knew what this sound was, and he associated it with something positive." She almost managed to touch him, too, before… well… she didn't. Maybe today would bring better luck.

Ty watched as Amy started to do her thing. They had talked about her performing miracles before and even if she had denied being a miracle-worker, there was still something magical about the way she proceeded with everything. Ty had always figured he had seen a lot of things in his life, but never anything like this. Perhaps he had witnessed all the bad stuff that was out there and this was something opposite, for once, and that's why it had rocked his world like it had.

He wasn't bitter or angry at how easy some people had it; it didn't do any good in the long run and would only prevent him from moving on to something (hopefully) better. Even if things weren't perfect and they never would be, it didn't mean he couldn't have things pretty good anyway. He just had to be happy about the little things that might have not been what he hoped for, but felt nice enough. Having a comfortably boring life was better than a miserable one any day.

Ty was curious about that way of living - seeing hope and having faith in something, and how some people had it in them every day. At his lowest point, Ty felt he was not afraid to go to sleep so much as he was afraid to wake up to a new day. After Amy's arrival to Hudson, he was actually looking forward to waking up for once. Last night he had not even gone back to sleep because he had been that excited about everything.

The kiss from last night flashed through his head again. Up till now, Ty thought he had been the one running from shadows and seeking shelter in Amy's company, but maybe it wasn't all that simple after all. There were ghosts that were catching up with Amy too and, in some weird way, she managed to see or feel safety in him - so much that she had kissed him. The reversed roles felt strange, but Ty was also curious how Amy had been able to tap into that kind of connection with him and when exactly it happened. Maybe it was one of her magic tricks that he needed to figure out like a marveling observer. He really wanted to talk about it, but felt like there was something much more important going on here and the talk just had to wait a little while.

Rolling the cellophane to the candy between her fingers, Amy once again offered it to Spartan with her arm outstretched. Yesterday, that hadn't gone so well when she'd ended up on the ground, but today was a new day. A wave of deja vu washed over her when Spartan stretched his neck toward her hand and she felt his hot breath beating on her fingers. "You want that?" She tried to ignore the image of thrashing hooves that flashed through her mind and focus on something less unsettling. Ty helping her up off the ground came next, the feel of her hand in his and his closeness. Swallowing and wetting her lips, Amy tried to shake that away too before she instead lost her focus. "Come on," she coaxed, taking a slow step back and seeing Spartan's nose follow the movement of her peppermint hand. He seemed to consider it a moment before taking a step forward and lipping the candy from her palm. "Good boy," Amy again praised, excitement beginning to bubble in her chest. It took a lot for her to resist the urge to try and pet him, thinking that wouldn't be a wise move until she had him in the pen where he couldn't take off across the field and bring them back to square one.

It was like some kind of delicate ice had been broken after Spartan took the candy from her hand. He didn't seem so shy anymore when Amy reached into her pocket for another one, smiling when his ears pricked forward again while he munched on the first. This time she didn't allow him to have it so easily, stepping back toward the round pen, but it didn't take quite as long for him to follow either, snatching his reward so fast he nearly got her fingers in the process. "Hey now, be nice," she scolded while going for a third and stepping further back until she was standing inside the pen's perimeter where Spartan would not only have to pass into the enclosed area, but right by Ty and Caleb who stood behind the gate, ready to swing it closed behind him.

"Just don't move until he's completely inside," she told them, afraid any sudden movements would send the horse reeling backward into the safety of the lower corner of the field where he preferred to be. But Amy was optimistic after he came to her on his own to receive a treat. There were some perfectly healthy horses that wouldn't even take something from a person's hand as kindly and eagerly as Spartan had. But he wasn't stupid, either, and saw the two men standing behind the gate watching him, anticipating his next moves. His ears began to flick warily, though honed in on Amy's voice when she began to croon to him, trying to hold his attention and make him forget about anyone else who might be around. She made a show of crinkling the candy wrapper again, encouraging him to come for it. It took much longer that time than it had before, but eventually he sighed and joined Amy inside the pen to receive his candy. But the movement of Ty and Caleb swinging the gate closed spooked him, and the metallic clang of the latch sent him shying away from it, and Amy.

She stood and watched as he ran into a side of the pen, seeming to become confused then run along the perimeter looking for a way out. Discombobulated, the horse broke into a fast canter, throwing his head high and crying out for help, his whinny piercing the air. It broke Amy's heart to watch him look desperately for an escape, blinded by panic and forgetting how gentle the girl that stood inside the space with him had just been.

Ty watched the horse, feeling his heart beat along to Spartan's hooves. He looked for Amy to make sure she was okay with the way the horse was now captured inside this small pen, and even though she seemed a little worried about him, she didn't give out a vibe that would tell Ty that this was somehow damaging Spartan's progress.

"Alright… let's give this a shot. Fingers crossed," Amy said to the guys as she made her way to the center of the ring.


	31. Chapter 31

_"Can I have the comics?" Kerry-Anne asked when Ty was reading the newspaper. He was looking for her mother's obituary and was distracted, so even though he could hear Kerry-Anne loud and clear, he couldn't at first make out what she had said, despite the fact that she was standing right next to him._

_"Oh… yeah, sure," Ty handed part of the paper to her and she accepted it with a smile on her face. _

_"Thanks. You want coffee with your newspaper?" Kerry-Anne asked. She was enjoying this domestic playing house act they had going on in the house that had belonged to Ty's mom just weeks ago._

_"Yeah, whatever," Ty only wanted her to shut her mouth for a change. He felt bad about it, because Kerry-Anne had been a huge help for him during these past few weeks, but it wasn't like Ty to talk all the time. For Kerry-Anne it was the opposite and she was trying to lure Ty out of his silent mood._

_There it was. "Lily Borden, née Morgan. Born 1967, died 2012."_

_No matter how many papers he filled with her information or how many documents he saw about her death, it had not yet started to sink in._

_"You know what I was thinking we could do for breakfast today? Pancakes. I just woke up and I was thinking "when was the last time I ate pancakes?" Life's too short not to eat pancakes all the time, you know. Though, we don't have eggs, but we could go to the town and get some. Maybe some beer too," Kerry-Anne suggested._

_"Beer with pancakes?" Ty raised his eyebrow and his eyes from the paper. Kerry-Anne smiled. She had caught his attention._

_"Not for breakfast, silly," she giggled. Ty hummed. _

_Ty read rest of the obituary, making sure there were no errors in the text. Even though they had had a weird relationship and just a year ago Ty couldn't have cared less about his mother, he still wanted to honor her memory the best that he could. It had been hard to recall anything about her mother, especially because they had not seen each other for years and at the time he had not really thought about what to put in her obituary when the time came. The funeral had been small, just him and Kerry-Anne, because Ty had not known who to even invite. Did his mother even have friends? What was her life like before he had come around? _

_The irony was that he was about to find out, a little too late._

_"You expecting someone?" Kerry-Anne asked. Ty stood up from his chair when he saw her watching outside from the kitchen window. He walked over and peered at the yard. There was a brown Cadillac parked right next to his blue GMC. Out stepped a short man with dark hair and old leather jacket. Something about him screamed trouble._

_"Not that I know of…" Ty mumbled._

_"Maybe a friend of your mother's?" Kerry-Anne suggested._

_"Maybe. Stay here," Ty asked and put down the paper, so he could meet this stranger that was walking toward the house like he owned the place._

For a very long time Amy merely stood and watched Spartan pace the fenceline. Her body tensed up and her heart raced in her throat as nerves coursed through her veins. If she screwed this up she could set Spartan back right to the start, possibly with even more damage incurred. If she didn't follow through or he refused to join her this whole plan would be blown to hell and then what? Amy wouldn't only be letting the horse down, but Ty, her mother, and herself. Slowly, Amy turned with the horse as he raced around her, watching as his black coat darkened from sweat brought on by anxiety. This had to work. Given enough time sitting around in the field feeding him treats would have gradually gained their trust, but they weren't in possession of that kind of time.

"Okay, boy. Let's do this," Amy murmured to the horse with a deep breath. She adjusted her stance, squaring her shoulders and meeting the gelding's wide eye as she remembered her mother teaching her. Following him around for another lap, Amy moved ahead of him to cut off his path. He seemed startled and slid to a stop, spinning on his haunches and darting around to run in the other direction away from her. Amy chased him, driving him around the pen. "No you don't! Git!" She yelled at him when he ran into the side and tried to turn the other way, forcing him to continue in the clockwise direction.

Ty and Caleb sat at the porch, giving Amy some space to work with Spartan. The distance was enough to make them just a distant distraction, but close enough so they could see what exactly went down inside the pen. Ty wanted to make sure Amy was safe at all times, but so far it seemed like his worries were in vain and she had control of the situation.

The men had decided to get some quick breakfast after their hours of labor, while keeping an eye on the situation from afar. It was hard to make out what Amy was saying, but her body language was easy to read.

"Wow, that's one feisty woman!" Caleb commented as Ty dug his teeth into a sandwich. "Where did you even find her?" the cowboy marveled and took a sip from his cup, eyes lit up from the spell Amy had on him.

"I didn't. She found me," Ty replied.

"What? Seriously? How?" Caleb frowned. Ty shrugged a little.

"She found out about the Hanley place and when I took her to see it, we had to cut through the woods and she saw Spartan. Wanted to know his story and eventually offered some help," he summarized their history, leaving out all the details Caleb would surely use against him.

"It's almost like you two are meant to be. Lonely horse owner in the middle of nowhere and a horse whisperer who just happens to have an eye for creepy buildings," Caleb teased again.

"It's not creepy—" Ty sighed and glanced at Caleb who just raised his eyebrow in a challenging manner. "Okay, it's a little creepy," he admitted, "but I'm going to make it uncreepy."

"Huh…" Caleb let out.

"What?"

"The first thing you wanna comment about is the Hanley house and not the thing I said about you two being meant to be. Funny that," Caleb shook his head in disappointment. "Borden, you're seriously rusty, you can't even see what kind of gem you have in front of you…" Caleb said as the other corner of his mouth curled up.

Ty stared at him for a second and realized he was right. He had immediately focused on the house and not the gossip about Amy and him. Maybe on some level he didn't want to even let the thought cross his mind, so he wouldn't give it any power. Perhaps he was too afraid to get hurt again.

Ty's eyes slowly drifted toward the blonde in the middle of the pen. Yes, she was amazing and anyone could see that. Was he about to just let this girl fade into another memory he would think about all night long or would he actually do something about it for once?

Spartan's hooves thundered over the ground, dust and clumps of dirt getting kicked up in all directions as Amy made him change his course over and over, then drove him around with large, exaggerated arm movements, sometimes clapping her hands at him or shouting in deep, harsh tones. She was in no way mad at the animal - entirely the opposite, but he needed to know that she wasn't to be messed with and wouldn't be allowed to get away with anything she hadn't asked him to do. But what he wasn't doing was what he needed to do, and that was listen to her, respect her, and trust her.

_"But what happens if a horse doesn't choose to come in to the center? What if they just never gain your trust?" _

_"You keep at them until they do. Eventually, they'll get tired of running and realize they'd rather be with you."_

"But what if they don't?" Amy asked out loud, giving herself and the horse a break as she slowed and caught her breath, fixing her blue eyes on Spartan as he slowed to a trot. She didn't know what she was thinking, trying to do what her mother did. She obviously didn't have the same "gift" as Marion and Spartan was the harsh proof of that as he continued his pacing as if expecting the gate to magically fly open and release him.

"I don't know what else I can do for you," Amy spoke to the horse. "If you won't let me help you then…" she lifted her arms in a hopeless gesture, dropping them limply at her sides. "Then I guess you're just going to be stuck in a very… lonely and pathetic life out in this field." Amy closed her mouth and narrowed her eyes through the sun at the horse. "There's more to life than that, you know. You can't hide in the dark forever." She shook her head slowly at him, feeling like she was preaching to the choir, watching his ears flick back and forth until the one nearest her locked inward. Amy's breath slowed, waiting for it to turn back out once she stopped talking, but it didn't.

Shifting her weight, Amy blocked Spartan's path, making him stop and look at her. Her lips parted in awe as she stood stunned for a moment before shooing him away. "Go on." She clicked her tongue and pushed him away from her in the other direction.

"Though, I have to say, I've never seen anyone talk to a horse like that. Look at her, it's like she's having in-dept talks about… the economy or whatever," Caleb's commentary continued on the porch. Ty furrowed.

"You don't talk to your animals?" Ty asked. He knew Caleb had cattle and few horses, and he had had them for years. The thought of Caleb never having a so-called conversation with them seemed odd to Ty.

"No. Why would I? They won't understand anyway. Maybe I'll tell them to move along or something, but that's it," the other man replied.

"Well, even though they won't understand your words, they'll understand your tone," Ty had to disagree with Caleb a little.

"Are you saying you're talking to your dog all the time?" Caleb found it amusing, before Ty nodded, wiping the smug grin off from his face.

"Yeah. As a matter of fact I do."

"But… why?" Caleb was baffled.

"It builds a bond. That's what I think Amy's doing there with Spartan too," Ty nodded toward the horse and the girl. "It's not stupid or useless. You'll see." He wanted Amy to succeed, but he also wanted to prove Caleb wrong.

Both of them were getting tired. Amy could hear her own labored breathing over Spartan's with his nostrils flared and his coat slick with sweat. The warm summer sun didn't help matters, beating down on them in the cloudless sky. But with the gelding listening to her now, Amy knew she couldn't just throw in the towel. She was actually making some progress and could almost hear her mother calling to her from outside the ring, giving her words of encouragement and guidance. Several laps later Amy's heart almost stopped when she saw Spartan's mouth open as if he were chewing on something.

_"That's it, Amy. That's the sign you're waiting for. He's ready now."_

Amy stopped running, taking off the pressure and allowing Spartan to slow at his own pace. Clenching her hands into tight fists, Amy turned her back on the horse, leaving him utterly alone on the far side of the pen. Now it was his turn to choose whether he wanted to continue being alone, or join Amy and make a new friend - someone he could trust.

She closed her eyes as that absolute stillness settled in. Ty and Caleb stared at them, frozen in anticipation. Every sound in the world seemed to shut off as she listened and waited with bated breath. It only took a few seconds, but those seconds felt like hours, before there was a soft padding of Spartan's hooves on the dirt, the tap of a rock and then the shock of his breath on her neck that made the hair stand on end and a shiver run through her spine.

Amy resisted the urge to turn around right away but tested the new bond they just created by stepping away from the gelding. She walked a few paces in front of him and stopped, watching him watch her from the corner of her eye until he followed after her. The smile began to slide onto her face as she moved sideways, circled, and zig-zagged around the pen, Spartan moseying along behind her, before finally stopping and turning to face the animal with a bright smile on her face. "Good boy!" She laughed in disbelief, slowly stepping to the side to reach up and run her hand along his neck, turning her eyes toward Ty to check his own reaction and make sure he saw it too so she knew she wasn't actually dreaming.

A grin crept on Ty's face when he saw Amy touching Spartan like it was no big deal. It was almost as if the gelding had been replaced with a look-a-like.

"She did it…" Ty let out, his breath full of relief. "She _really_ did it."


	32. Chapter 32

_Ty walked toward the man, as the stranger was eyeing him suspiciously back. It was hard to put his finger on it, but something about him rubbed Ty the wrong way. The irony was that he, who lived in the house, looked at the man he didn't recognize with a less reserved look than the guy who was on his property. Ty was hoping the paranoia that had kept him alive for years now was wrong this time._

_"Can I help you…?" Ty offered as an introduction. Maybe the man was lost. If he was, he was not in luck, because Ty hardly knew the area yet. Or perhaps he was selling something or about to preach him about something. _

_Maybe not._

_"Uhm… you live here?" the man asked. _

_Something about the way he approached the topic told Ty that this man might have known his mother and it was strange for him to see Ty inside her house. That would explain his odd behavior._

_"Well… yeah," Ty nodded finally. "Is there something I can do?"_

_"I… I came because of Lily Borden. I heard she passed away", the man said. Ty felt his throat getting dry. There were only few people he had talked to about his mother's death and most of them worked at the funeral house, so facing a person outside that setting, a person who had actually known Lily felt like a tough test Ty wasn't sure he would pass without getting emotional._

_"Yeah… I'm sorry to inform you that what you've heard is true…" Ty nodded, only giving the man few seconds of eye contact at a time. "I'm sorry, I don't know who you are. My name is Ty. Ty Borden," he stretched out his hand for him to shake. The visitor froze and stared at him then, a wide smile spread across his face._

_"Ty… So you're him."_

_"I'm sorry…?" Ty wasn't following. "Him…?"_

_"Her son. The long lost son," the man said. It made Ty uncomfortable to know the guy knew him, but he had no idea who he was. _

_"I'm sorry, I don't think I heard your name," Ty said politely, taking back his hand when he no longer felt so welcoming about this fellow._

_"That's because I didn't say it," he took out of a pack of cigarettes from inside of his jacket and eyed on the house. Ty didn't like the way he had come into this situation. He didn't trust strangers, especially if they behaved like this. "My name is Wade. I was your mother's fiance."_

Amy didn't know how long it would take for the awe to wear off as she continued running her fingers down Spartan's coat, jerking her head at Ty in a gesture for him to come over and join them. She wasn't sure how Spartan would react to him yet, but getting the horse to trust at least one person was a large step forward. She turned her attention back to the gelding to get a better look at him, finally seeing how dull his coat truly was and how matted his mane and tail were. "Are you going to be a good boy and let us try to clean you up now?" She asked him quietly, taking a step back to look at his feet that were in desperate need of a farrier. They weren't too long, but long enough to need a trim and probably some other treatment. That wasn't something Amy was willing to subject him to yet, though, not until he was okay with being handled by other people.

"Stay here," Ty ordered Caleb as he tossed the used napkin from his hands to the porch after wiping the greasy stains of his light breakfast from his fingers. He walked toward Spartan and Amy, keeping eye on the horse, because as soon as he would show any sign of fear, he would stop and step back. Amy was right next to the gelding and therefore in danger if he decided to bolt or rear. "Easy now…" Ty talked, hoping the voice would make Spartan know that he wasn't a silent predator.

While he seemed to be okay with Amy near him, the same couldn't be said for Ty when he approached the round pen. The horse backed away a few steps until Ty stopped advancing. "Hey, it's okay,"Amy assured him in a gentle voice, following those few steps back to the the gelding's side. The good news was he didn't continue to move away from her, but she threw an apologetic look Ty's way. "I guess it's going to take a little more time." Patting Spartan's shoulder Amy stepped away from him to Ty, listening as he followed her a few paces until he realized where she was going then stopped to stare after her. "I guess you should have been the one in here. He's your horse after all. It doesn't do much good that he trusts me and not you," Amy apologized, especially considering after tomorrow she might not even be around and once again Spartan will be left abandoned to strangers. That was her amateur mistake.

"Maybe that just means you have to stay for good," Ty half joked. He wasn't ready to let Amy go just yet, not when things were just getting started for all of them. But at the same time Ty knew it was her decision to stay or to go, and he shouldn't be pressuring her into staying for his own pleasure.

They had only agreed to work things for few days anyway.

"Maybe." Amy played into Ty's joke, smiling softly toward the ground, but that was a loaded 'maybe.' One that Amy felt weighing on her heavily as her time in Hudson drew to an end.

"No, but seriously…" he then added, looking at the black beauty, "it's a start. At least we know now it's possible to connect with him. So, thank you." His eyes traveled back to Amy, who lifted her gaze with an almost shy smile. "That was amazing to watch."

"Yeah it was," Caleb's voice agreed all of a sudden. The cowboy walked from behind Ty who immediately froze because Spartan was already skittish enough about him, let alone about complete stranger.

"Didn't I ask you to stay on the porch?" Ty stepped up and started to lead his neighbor back to the house by puffing his chest and standing in his way, so at least he couldn't get any further if he wouldn't respond to Ty's encroaching of personal space.

"Yeah, you did, but… I just had to talk to Amy," Caleb gestured toward the young woman. "I have a job offer for you," he told her.

"Uh," Amy's smile morphed into a slightly bewildered expression as she glanced from Ty to Caleb, wondering what angle he was playing at. "What kind of a job offer?" She was curious to know even if she didn't think she'd be of much help to the cowboy. Cattle ranching wasn't exactly part of her resume.

"I have a horse who's impossible to work with too," Caleb explained and Ty listened, feeling nervous that something Caleb would say or do would drive Amy away. "Physically, he's in great shape, but I don't know what's going on inside of his head. I've been trying to sell him, but who buys a horse you can't ride. No one, that's who."

Ty's eyes traveled between Caleb and Amy, as the cowboy was explaining the situation. While listening to him, Ty realized he would have been happy if Amy accepted Caleb's offer, but at the same time he had to admit he felt jealousy too. Or maybe it was foolishness. Maybe he had imagined that something about him and Amy had been more special than it actually was, but at the end of the day this would be nothing more than a job for her.

"So… what do you say?" Caleb asked. "Would you like to take a look at him?"

The wheels in Amy's head began to turn faster as Caleb's request began to really sink in. She wanted to say she was only helping Ty because he was helping her and that had been hard enough until today. She wasn't in the business of dealing with other people's problems for profit or even to build a reputation. She hadn't known if she could actually fix Spartan, or even get him close to it, but offered to try because she couldn't stand to know he was hurting and alone out in that field. Caleb's horse sounded like he was maybe just temperamental, which could have more to do with the cowboy than the horse."Well, it- it's not really what I do. I was just kind of guessing with Spartan. So I don't want you to think I'm like some sort of professional or something. I'm not. I just…" Her eyes trailed over to the black gelding. "I just felt bad for him," she finished lamely, knowing there was more to her decision to try to help the horse than sympathy. It just took her a little while to figure that out. "Anyway, I'm only here for another day, so it wouldn't be fair to you or your horse if I committed to something I don't even know if I can accomplish," she told him, her gentle decline.

"Alright, fair enough," Caleb accepted her explanation. It wasn't like he had been counting on it, especially after Ty had told him earlier Amy was only staying for few days. "I could use another cup of coffee. Mind if I make myself some, Ty?" he raised his eyebrows and turned around, setting his hand on Ty's shoulder, giving it a little squeeze. "I tried. Now it's your turn," he whispered, pressing close to Ty's ear.

It took few seconds for Ty to register what he had just said and few more to realize what he meant by it. Did Caleb even have a difficult horse or was he just testing to see what Amy would say? Pave some kind of way for him?

"Go right ahead…" Ty said absentmindedly as Caleb returned back to the house and probably couldn't even hear him anymore. He slowly brought his glance back at Amy and hoped she had not picked up Caleb's clever plot. "So… what can I do? I mean, if you really are leaving soon, I should know some basics, right?"

Letting out a breath, Amy relaxed when Caleb didn't press the issue and insist. She knew she wouldn't have been able to hold out for long or if he guilted her into it by saying he was ready to get rid of the horse. She wouldn't have been able to stand the idea of what could potentially happen to it if that was the case. But it was the way he dropped it that seemed too easy, like he was just testing her or seeing how she'd react. She didn't linger on that thought for long after Caleb excused himself and left them alone again with Ty redirecting her thoughts. "Well, maybe from here on out you should be the one to work with him. Tomorrow you can try to join-up with him like I just did today. I'll talk you through it and we'll see how that goes. If it works you won't need me anymore just as long as you keep showing him the same kindness and respect." Saying Ty wouldn't need her anymore struck her in a way she hadn't expected and she nearly stumbled over the rest of her sentence from the pang that erupted in her chest. She should have taken that as a hint that she maybe wasn't as ready to go as she made herself believe by constantly counting down the hours until she was gone. Amy didn't decline Caleb's offer because she didn't think she could commit to the job, or do it properly (though that was part of it). She declined it because it would take away from what little time she had left with Ty. There was also the fact that she wasn't through assisting him with Spartan, but that was a lesser excuse.


	33. Chapter 33

_"What's on your mind?" Kerry-Anne murmured into Ty's ear when they were lying awake that night. She had her arm stretched around his chest and her head nuzzled against his cheek. He laid on his back and stared at the ceiling._

_"Just that guy… Wade, or whatever the name was," Ty spoke, lost in thought. "The life mom had and I have no idea about."_

_"Hmm, yeah…" Kerry-Anne's voice was sleepy. She was almost half asleep anyway. "Maybe you could invite him over, ask about the things you want to know?"_

_"I'm not sure if I actually wanna know them…" Ty said and gently caressed Kerry-Anne's arm. "I bet the mom I knew was very different, so would I even know how to fit those two versions together? I could have never imagined her getting engaged to anyone after dad, but then again… I totally can. She used to have flings all the time and she was so… needy. I bet she wanted a man who'd take all her troubles away, or something. But we had our chance - she could have told me about him, but she didn't. Now that chance is gone. It shouldn't matter anymore."_

_Kerry-Anne brought her chin on his chest and watched him through half-closed eyes. Ty looked back at her._

_"It was because of the sickness, right?"_

_Ty nodded. He had told her about his mother's condition and how he was sucked into taking care of her. It was rare for him to come so clean about everything that he felt so embarrassed about, but Kerry-Anne had seen him at his worst and he knew that she could take it._

_"Do you ever wonder what would have happened if she had gotten better?" Kerry-Anne asked and kissed his chest softly._

_"That's the thing - you never really get better. You can help the symptoms, but it's always part of you. I used to think "it's just her illness speaking" or "I can't get mad at her because she's sick. What kind of person would I be if I did?" But then… I gave myself permission to be angry at her because she wasn't her sickness, you know, she was just… my mother, and eventually I didn't know how to not be angry at her," Ty shrugged a little. _

_"But you loved her?"_

_"Of course. But it's complicated. Or… was," he corrected._

_"I bet she loved you too. And missed you when you were away. I mean, I've seen how she has those pictures of you," Kerry-Anne smiled. "The little boy with chubby cheeks."_

_Ty blushed and smiled a little. Kerry-Anne found it cute and positioned herself better so they could kiss._

_In the midst of the kiss, they heard noises outside the room. Ty's senses sharpened and he looked toward the bedroom door, knowing that he couldn't see through it, but it didn't stop him picturing the rest of the house through the walls like he had X-ray vision. He listened carefully. It took a while for him to hear the footsteps, but as soon as he did, he knew someone was inside the house._

Ty turned off the engine after pulling over next to the curb. He could have let it run, since he was only dropping Amy off, but he had a different feeling about this routine tonight. It was probably their last night together and he was in no hurry to rush off.

"So… they texted me earlier today. The parts are at the shop. So I guess I'll get your truck fixed first thing tomorrow. What time do I pick you up?" Ty looked at Amy, feeling betrayed by his own enthusiastic act. He didn't want to let her go just yet, so why was he so keen on talking about getting her truck fixed so soon.

Maybe because he didn't know what else to say.

Amy remained still in the passenger seat, staring out toward the motel door in front of her, already feeling the loneliness creeping back in that awaited her on the other side. "Okay, great." She tried to sound enthusiastic, even smiling, but she just couldn't bring herself to be overjoyed about getting her truck back in working order. She didn't even really want to think about it until tomorrow when she had to, but since Ty brought it up there was no escaping it, nor the disappointing feeling like he was ready for her to go, without so much as acknowledging what happened the night before. Maybe it had been too much for him and she freaked him out by kissing him so abruptly that making her go away would just be easier than dabbling in that conversation. But, being too afraid to bring it up on her own, Amy could understand. She just wished she could figure out if it meant anything at all to him. "Um, I guess eight would be good. Or we could meet up at Maggie's first around seven-thirty?"

"Seven-thirty sounds good," Ty agreed. His body was aching, his mind was tired and every cell in him screamed for rest. Building the pen and hardly sleeping last night wasn't a good combination, but no matter how tired he felt right now, Ty doubted he would get any sleep tonight either.

They had made some progress with Spartan today and eventually the horse had let him approach - or more like he had approached Ty after a successful join-up. He knew he was supposed to be happy about it and he was, but more than that, everything felt bittersweet. When one door closed, another one opened. And since Spartan was now in a much better place, he no longer needed Amy to help him out every step of the way.

"I was thinking…" Ty spoke again, "maybe tomorrow we could brush Spartan. You know, make him all nice and clean, so that's how you'll remember him," he smiled. The gelding was still anything but clean.

"Yeah," Amy nodded in agreement. "Although, I think it'll take more than a brush to get through that job. He needs a little elbow grease," she joked, though that wasn't an understatement. The horse needed more than a brushing and Amy was more than happy to help Ty get him spiffed up and looking handsome again before she left.

She paused a moment, the events of the day briefly replaying in her mind. Watching Ty join up with Spartan still made her smile. "It was pretty amazing to see him join up with you. I mean I've seen my mom do it hundreds of times but there's something really special about watching it between the horse and its person. The bonding moment is just different, you can feel it. That's where the real magic is." Amy turned her soft smile up toward Ty. "Did you feel it?"

"Oh yeah," Ty even laughed a little, because the feeling had been almost too much to handle, "I've never done anything like that before. I had no idea what I was doing there in the middle of the pen, but then I just listened to your instructions and I started to notice these things he did, with his ears and mouth, and from that point on I really didn't want it to end in any other way than it did. Waiting for him to walk behind me was nerve-wrecking…" He blew out air, like he had been holding a breath ever since that moment. "Crazy…"

Her smile faltered a hair when Ty answered her question about the horse. Right, they were talking about Spartan. "Yeah," she agreed, turning her eyes toward her lap. She really needed to learn to be more direct with her questions, rather than hope that Ty would understand the double meaning behind them. "But you did it. He chose you. Now Caleb just has to teach you to ride." Amy's smile became full again at the entertaining idea of the cowboy trying to teach Ty to ride his horse. She would bet that'd be a sight to see and wished she'd be around to witness it. Why can't you be? That seemed to be the question she'd been asking herself all day. Why couldn't she just stay? And her answer always ended up being because my home is Vancouver but mostly she just didn't know if Ty even wanted her to.

"Oh man… Don't know how that'll turn out," Ty felt horrified and his eyes widened from horror, but he then laughed it off. "I've never ridden a horse before. Any tips?" he asked, hoping for it to stir up a conversation of some sort, because for some reason he felt unable to speak about anything else than Spartan - or horses in general, no matter how many times the flashbacks from last night went through his head. The kiss was really all he wanted to talk about, but wasn't sure if Amy wanted to go there - with the nightmares and all.

"Don't worry, there was a time when all horse people were in your position and we were all told the same thing: when you fall off, you gotta get right back on. It's like the number one rule of the horse world. You aren't a true rider until you've fallen at least a dozen or more times." And with a horse like Spartan Amy would bet he was going to fall off a lot, beginner or not. It just seemed like the horse's personality to test boundaries and take advantage of them if he could, but Amy didn't say that to Ty, wanting him to figure it out for himself so he would have a deeper understanding of his horse without her tainting his mind with preconceptions.

"It's like with everything else that takes time and perseverance to master." She smiled at him and shifted in her seat toward the door, reaching to curl her fingers around the handle, dragging out the movement like someone flipped a slow-mo switch. "You'll be okay."

"Famous last words… Send me Get Well Soon balloons at least?" Ty joked, making Amy laugh softly. He knew just as well that Spartan wasn't an ideal horse for a beginner and wouldn't let him ride him easily. Ty could almost see himself eating dust as Caleb laughed at the side of the pen after trying to teach him some basics. It was a catastrophe waiting to happen, but Ty hoped Spartan would have more to his life than grazing. He also wanted to honor Amy's work by at least trying to ride the horse.

"Maybe when you get really good I'll come back and you can show off what you've learned. Prove to me you kept up your end of the bargain." Amy didn't really think Ty would just put Spartan back in the field under the assumption he was cured and ready to be re-homed after she emphasized to him the importance of continuing where she left off and maintaining a relationship, but it was an excuse to see him again Amy would take if there was any sign of whatever this was could carry over timezones. But, at the moment with her hand on the door and an pending goodnight hanging between them, Amy wasn't too sure it would last passed tomorrow unless one of them took that initiative they both seemed to be waiting for.

"Maybe…" Ty smiled genuinely. He knew Amy could have been just saying that, but he was willing to take it as there was not much else to go for them right now.

Giving the handle a pull, Amy opened the door. "So I'll see you in the morning then?" She asked, leaving the question open for other possible suggestions.

"I guess so. Unless you'll miss my couch too much," he grinned. Even though Amy had only spent one night at his place, Ty was still going to think the house felt empty without her there tonight. "Wouldn't blame you. It's a very good couch," Ty offered one more time.

Amy's hand gripped tighter to the handle, a nervous ripple flaring in her gut when Ty mentioned the couch. As she looked over at his smile her lips parted from the imprint he'd left on them the night before, her own breath passing through them gave her chills at the memory of his doing the same. Was this him bringing up the kiss? Or inviting her to go back to his place? Or was he just saying it to be funny? She didn't know what to make of it or what she was supposed to say in response or if he wanted her to say anything at all. "It is a very nice couch," she agreed before she ended up saying nothing at all and brought them into some kind of strange silence or blurted something out before she could filter it without knowing how she was supposed to take what he'd said. "Good night," she finally caved, pushing the door open and sliding out, realizing it wasn't just Ty's feelings she was trying to make sense of, but was still tripped up by her own.

"Night…" Ty could finally speak after Amy had already closed the door. There had been openings throughout the day, but none of them had lead anywhere.

There was always tomorrow.


	34. Chapter 34

Silence. Utter and complete silence. That was what awaited Amy on the other side of her motel room door when she finally stepped inside. It rang in her ears once she could no longer hear the sound of Ty's truck outside on the curb. Amy listened closely as it backed up and drove away. She waited a few minutes, hoping he'd change his mind and come back. Maybe with another burger and fries in tow as an excuse. Drawing back the curtain, Amy peered out into the empty street, vacant parking spaces illuminated by street lamps made her heart sink. Ty wasn't coming back and she was alone until morning. For so long all Amy wanted to be was alone with her thoughts. She needed the time and the space to figure some things out. But now she was afraid of them and their constant bickering. They were two opposing forces vying for control – her head and her heart. They made her tired and angry and conflicted, mostly conflicted. She needed answers and they weren't answers she was going to get by hoping Ty would be the first to bring up the kiss they shared, but by discovering them herself and being so sure about them that she could leave tomorrow knowing exactly where they stood.

Letting the curtain fall closed, Amy reached over to flick on the light beside the dresser. The room was cleaner than when she left it. Her clothes that had been strewn over the bed were neatly folded on top of the smoothed comforter. Her cell phone sat on top of the pristine little pile, reminding Amy she'd been out since yesterday without it. Oops. Not that anyone had any reason to get in touch with her, except Lou. Amy moved to snatch up her phone and sprawl across the bed as she flipped it open to check it. If her sister tried to get a hold of her and she didn't answer, there were bound to be a series of increasingly frantic messages clogging her inbox. There were. Twelve to be exact. Instead of bothering to listen to them when she knew what they were going to say and infer, Amy called her back.

_"Oh my God, Amy, where have you been?! I've been calling you for two days. I thought you drove off a cliff or were mauled by a bear or-"_

"Lou," Amy cut her off, replacing the phone against her ear when it was safe again. "Relax. I'm fine. I just got hung up… I'll be on my way home tomorrow."

_"Hung up? Where are you?"_

"My truck broke down outside of Calgary. I've been stranded here a few days waiting for parts." Amy could hear her sister's sharp intake of breath and closed her eyes. She shouldn't have said that.

_"Calgary? Amy, you weren't going to see-"_

"No, Lou. I wasn't. I swear. I'm not even close to the city." She sighed, opening her eyes. "Besides, he's not there anymore anyway," she added, cringing at how pathetic she was to even know that.

_"Oh. Well, then, what are you doing out there?"_

"You told me to get away for a while. So I did."

_"I meant like treat yourself to a weekend at the spa or hang out at the beach. Not pack up and drive across the country."_

There was a silence Amy filled by scowling at the water stain on her ceiling, dragging it out until Lou realized Amy wasn't looking for a lecture.

_"Okay, I'm sorry. I've just been worried that I haven't heard from you."_

"It's okay."

_"So, you're coming home tomorrow?" _

"I guess so. Assuming Ty can get my truck fixed." There was a part of her that hoped he couldn't so she'd be stuck there a while longer.

_"Ty?" _

"Yeah, he's the guy working on my truck," Amy answered vaguely, though she could hear the interest in Lou's voice.

_"You're on a first name basis with your mechanic?"_

Amy frowned. "It's a small town, Lou. There's one mechanic and he's out of business. Ty offered to look at it so I didn't have to get a tow all the way to the city," she explained, though could already tell that wasn't going to be the end of it.

_"Uh huh… So, what have you been doing while he's been working on your truck?"_

"I…" Amy hesitated, biting down on her lip, unsure if bringing up Spartan was a wise idea. They didn't talk about their mother, or the accident. They hadn't for years. It was like the topic was taboo. "I've been keeping busy," she evaded.

_"Doing what?"_

"Just… stuff."

_"Amy. What kind of st-"_ She gasped, loudly. _"Did you hook up with him?"_

"No!" Amy blurted, appalled. "Why would you ask me that?"

_"Because you're acting really weird. Like you're hiding something. What happened out there?"_

"Nothing!" Amy insisted, then faltered when she realized she hated that answer. Something most definitely happened and she wished it would stop being avoided. "Or… maybe something did. I… I don't know."

_"What happened?"_ Lou's voice became calmer, more serious, sensing her little sister's distress. _"Did you hook up with him?"_ She asked again, sensing Amy's dishonesty the first time.

"No… not-not really. Not like that." Pausing Amy took a breath before admitting it. "We just kissed."

That's when the rapid-fire questions came.

_Where? No, not that where. When? For how long? What were you doing? What happened after? Has he said anything? _

The lips. Oh, uh, the couch. Last night. I don't know, a few seconds? Kissing? We went back to bed. No, not like that. No.

"I don't know what to do, Lou. Do I mention it? Or wait for him to? What if he doesn't? What if he hated it? Or… or it wasn't good." Amy stopped abruptly when she heard Lou's laugh. "Why are you laughing?"

_"I'm sure your kissing is more than satisfactory."_

"Lou. I'm being serious. I'm leaving tomorrow and I feel like it's just hanging over my head."

Her sister cleared her throat and became serious again._ "Okay. Here's a question for you. Did he kiss you or did you kiss him?"_

"We kissed each other. But… I-I guess I started it."

_"Okay. Next question. Why?"_

"Huh?"

_"You obviously felt something for him that made you want to kiss him. If it was just the heat of the moment or some kind of desperate attempt at stress release we'd be having a much different conversation. So why did you kiss him?"_

They fell into a silence, Amy pondering what her sister suggested and Lou waiting patiently for a response. Why did she kiss Ty? Because she wanted to. Why did she want to? "I don't know. It just kind of happened. He was just… there."

_"Amy."_ Lou wasn't about to accept that as an excuse. _"Jesse was just 'there' when you hooked up with him and look where it got you. I know better than to believe you let yourself go down that road again. There's something more going on here. Something you don't seem to want to admit to yourself."_

"And what would that be?" Amy's tone became unfriendly then, resenting the fact that her sister brought up Jesse and seemed to know exactly what Amy was feeling that Amy herself didn't.

_"You're scared. Scared of what will happen if you let your guard down and open yourself up to the possibility of this guy. Scared of getting hurt again. Of messing it up. Of falling down that same path over again."_ Lou paused a moment, letting her theories sink in._ "Which is it?"_

"I don't know if he feels the same way."

_"He kissed you, didn't he?"_

"Maybe he was just being polite," she argued.

Lou scoffed._ "Come on, Amy. Stop fishing for excuses. If you really want anything to happen with this guy you need to stop playing coy and just talk to him. Or… kiss him again during the daytime so neither of you are sleep drunk. If it's really not like that, then at least you'll be gone tomorrow and that will be that. But, in my opinion, I think he's just as uncertain as you are. You never know where a person's been in their life, or what they've been through. Could be he's having the same struggle and waiting for you to say something."_

Everything Lou said began to make sense of Amy's conflicted and jumbled emotions. Sometimes it really did take hearing it from another person to put things into proper perspective. "Except I don't think he has a sister like you to set him straight," Amy offered as a truce, a smile tugging at her lips.

_"Well, that just means you're going to have to be the one to make the first move." _

Amy's smile slipped. "Yeah…" She still wasn't sure how she was going to be able to do that – if she even could. "Why does this have to be so hard?"

_"Sis, if relationships were easy we'd live in an overpopulated world of rainbow bliss."_ They both laughed. _"Just do me a favor and don't come home still wondering if he has feelings for you, okay? If he doesn't, you better know for certain that he doesn't, or I'll drag you back there myself."_ For a moment Amy wasn't entirely sure if Lou was joking, or completely serious, but decided not to find out.

"Thanks, Lou. I forgot how much I missed our sisterly talks," Amy smiled, shifting on the bed to sit up and pull out her pajamas.

_"If this goes well, we're going to have plenty more of them."_

"Do you think it will?"

_"I think it will if you don't let fear get in the way. You have every reason to be hesitant of new relationships, but that doesn't mean you won't ever find a good one. Maybe this will be a good one. But how will you know if you don't give it a chance?"_

Amy crawled into bed several minutes later with that thought running through her mind. She lay beneath the thin sheet, comforter rolled down to the end of the bed with the air conditioning on low, humming quietly to break the silence. Everything Lou said was so spot on Amy was amazed that even a thousand kilometers away and nearly a week out of the loop she could figure that out while Amy, who'd been living through it, couldn't manage to bring herself to admit it enough to believe it. She wanted and needed and longed for things she was afraid of having because they were things that hurt her so badly. The things she felt for Ty scared her because they were those things that she ran from that brought her to him. She didn't want to run anymore, but while she laid awake that night going over a plan of action in her mind, would come to find that it was much easier to form the words while lying alone in bed in a dark room, convincing herself it wouldn't be as difficult as she feared than it was to place said plan into action and to say those words so carefully sculpted to the face of the person for which they were meant, when they could not be changed or taken back.


	35. Chapter 35

_Ty parked his blue truck in front of the house and looked at his new friend beside him. Her brown eyes met his and he smiled a little. Maybe it had been a rash decision to make, but he felt better having her there than he felt about owning a gun. _

_Besides, getting a gun would almost feel like tempting fate: somehow, some way, it would go off instead of just being there "for safety" and he'd end up behind bars. Ty had promised never to go back that road again, and he was going to keep that promise, while trying to find other ways to protect himself - and Kerry-Anne._

_"Okay. Let's go. I want you to meet someone," he told his passenger and then got out of the truck._

_"Ty, oh my god! What is that?" Kerry-Anne walked out of the house as Ty helped a small King Shepherd down from his truck. The dog was on a leash and looked around curiously, sniffing the grass and the fresh country air, but then got a little guarded when she saw Kerry-Anne walking toward them. After lifting her head up and trying to catch the girl's smell, she started wagging her tail. That must mean she's okay with her, Ty thought, still learning to read his new companion._

_"A dog," Ty stated the obvious._

_"I know, but…" Kerry-Anne rolled her eyes and gave the dog her hand to sniff. "Why?"_

_"We need a guard dog," he said. "I feel lot safer if we have an extra pair of eyes and ears." _

_Ty had always been a light sleeper, since he had always had a reason to be: sometimes it had been about his dad coming home drunk and getting violent and other times he had been on suicide watch with his mom. He had relied on his ears while sleeping and so far it had worked, but he didn't know this house just yet, and already it had been invaded. So, he needed some backup._

_"And legs and nose," Kerry-Anne spoke to the dog, using baby talk. "Aren't you a cutie… Yes, you are…" She got on her knees and let the dog greet her. The Shepherd seemed already familiar with them, feeding off of their body language. "What's his name?"_

_"Her. It's a female," Ty said._

_"Oh… Well then, what's her name?" Kerry-Anne asked again. _

_"They called her Remi at the shelter," Ty said, shrugging. "So, I guess it's Remi, unless we want to change it."_

_"Remi's cool. — Hey, Remi", Kerry-Anne gave her a good scratch behind the ear, finding her sweet spot. "You're so pretty. Yes, you are…" _

_Ty looked at them, smiling. It was nice to see Kerry-Anne so happy with his decision to have a dog. Also, Remi's arrival had brought in the kind of positive energy the house had been lacking for a while now. But Remi wasn't just a band-aid to fix broken things, she had an important job to do._

_"You still think it was the Wade guy?" Kerry-Anne asked then and got up. Ty nodded, all serious. He had no doubts about it: the guy's and the burglar's visit were too close to each other to be just a coincidence. No one ever found their way here unless they had a reason to._

_"Just kind of stupid of him to check the crime scene before doing anything," Ty hummed. "I mean, I know it's a standard thing for criminals to do that, but at least be less obvious about it if you don't wanna get caught." _

_They didn't have much to go on, so for now, Ty had to wait until he'd go to the police. Nothing had been taken, as far as he knew, but he didn't like the idea of a stranger coming into the house - no matter how familiar he had been with his mother before her death._

_"Maybe he didn't know we were here and just really wanted whatever he was looking for," the girl shrugged. "And maybe he was in a rush to get it."_

_"Maybe. But if he dares to come back again, we'll have Remi. Should scare him off", Ty thought and looked at the dog. _

_"Unless she runs to lick his face…" Kerry-Anne smiled. The dog seemed so mellow that it would have not surprised her the slightest if she would. _

"Hey, girl…" Ty said as his dog greeted him on his way inside. The dog had been guarding the house ever since they had left with Amy, and was exactly where they had left her.

The Shepherd followed him in to the house, keeping up like a shadow, stopping when he stopped. Ty tried to think of something to do, but when he just felt exhausted and not really that focused anyway, he headed to the fridge and looked to see what was inside. Maybe eating would be a good thing, since it had been hours since his last meal.

"We still have some pie left," Ty let Remi know, feeling better when he could talk to someone, even if the dog would not reply. "Beats the beans any day."

As Ty sat on his couch, he took the remote and flicked the TV on. The silence felt too heavy to handle all of a sudden, so he had to have some kind of distraction. Scooping the pie in his mouth, he watched whatever trash show the television was airing at that hour. But after a while, he started to feel restless. The noise wasn't good enough for him anymore. Something else was off, but he wasn't sure what it was.

Ty looked around and noticed Kerry-Anne's old clothes still laying there. Amy had folded them neatly, and Ty found himself smiling at it. He liked that she had left some traces of herself here, to remind him that she was real. Kind of like this pie. It reminded him of the taste of her lips.

"Tomorrow she'll be gone," Ty spoke to Remi who was lying next to his feet. It was like he expected the dog to read his mind. "And it's gonna be just the two of us again. Well, us and Spartan." Remi used his attention to her advantage to get a few scratches. Ty put the pie plate on the table and gave the Shepherd just what she was yearning for. "Yeah, I know…" he talked to himself, imagining a conversation between him and Remi, "I'll miss her too. Really wish she wouldn't have to go…" He thought about something and amused himself with it. "Maybe I'll just say the part doesn't fit after all, so she'll have to stay few more days. I wonder how long it would take for her to realize I'm lying. Maybe not that long, 'cause she's so smart. But maybe by then she decides to fall in love with this town, hands me a check and moves into the Hanley place. Well, maybe not move in now, but you know, eventually. We'd fix it together and she'd have a reason to hang out with me. And by then… I'd finally have the courage to kiss her too…"

As Ty spoke the words, he became alerted by them. He had hardly even thought about it or even admitted it to himself, but somehow his mouth knew more than his mind did. Apparently he really wanted to kiss Amy. She had kissed him last night and it had felt like something he'd like to do again, but… what had really even happened? Was it just for comfort after she had been woken up from her nightmare or because of something else? Was there something between them that he wasn't as sure of? Or… was he?

Ty knew he had to ask her before she left. No matter the answer, at least he'd know for sure. His fingers started to massage Remi's thick coat as he explored the thought. "Maybe she has other men to kiss… and other dogs to scratch…" Ty looked down at the dog. "Or maybe she's waiting for me to do something…" The thought seemed terrifying. How would he not blow it, especially since he had never been the kind of guy who'd do grand gestures to prove something.

Then again, maybe he had never had a reason to. This felt like the type of thing that would require one of those things. Ty couldn't let her go without saying how he really felt.

And he had only one night to figure his feelings out.


	36. Chapter 36

As expected, Amy's night did not go well. Though she was lying there wishing sleep would come, it would not. Her thoughts wouldn't stop jumping around from one thing to another but they all held a common theme - Ty. She remained in bed until morning light began to lighten the room and she could see without turning on lamps. Then she crawled out of bed and dug into her suitcase for something to wear before packing up her bag. A heaviness settled into her chest as she stared into the open suitcase. Today was it. Her last day in Hudson unless something went wrong with her truck. Part of her hoped it would - a larger part than Ty would probably ever know. She stopped packing and left it for later - just in case - then grabbed her cell phone and room key and headed over to Maggie's that was already bustling with morning patrons. She was early, but it seemed that Ty was too, Amy spotting him almost as soon as she walked in the door, maybe with a little help from Soraya who did not hide her knowing smile when she saw Amy and threw a glance in Ty's direction. Her sister's advice from the night before echoed in her head but any of what Amy spent all night coming up with to say to him was completely gone, chased away by fear.

"It seems we both had the same idea," Amy said as she slid into the empty seat next to Ty.

Ty was finishing his cup of coffee when he heard a familiar voice, making him turn his head. He looked beside him and noticed Amy taking a seat at the table. An unannounced smile appeared on his lips.

"Be here early so we can tease the other one about sleeping in?" he threw in their inside joke, feeling bittersweet about it. This could be the last time he'd see her like this - with ruffled hair and sleep in her eyes - so he wanted to press it down on his memory as best as he could, without making it obvious he was staring.

Amy laughed. "Yeah, exactly." Though sleeping in hadn't been a problem for her this morning since she never went to sleep.

Ty put down his cup and pulled out a box to place on the table, returning his gaze to Amy. His heart was pounding fast, and for a moment he regretted his decision to get Amy a gift, but it was too late now - the box was already under Amy's inspection.

"I got you something, since it's your last day here," Ty announced. "Something to remember us by when you get back to the city."

He made sure to use words like "us" and "we", since they were very vague but suggestive enough to see how she'd react. He could have meant him and Spartan, but maybe he meant him and Amy - it was her call.

Amy stared at the rather large box that took up most of the table space. Her stomach began to tie into knots and for a moment breath seized in her lungs. A burning erupted behind her eyes that she fought away before it revealed too much. She covered it up with a smile as she lifted her gaze to Ty again. "You didn't have to get me anything. Fixing my truck is enough." But she lifted the lid anyway.

Under the cover laid a beautiful white cowboy hat that had a silver belly band with a silver buckle set. Ty was nervous about Amy's thoughts - buying clothes was risky business for any man, but hats weren't a same thing… right?

Amy smiled as she lifted out the hat. "Wow. I'm not sure how well this will fit in in the city but…" She turned it around to place it down on her head. "How do I look? Too much like a dude?" She joked, knowing how country folk referred to city slickers who ventured into the wild west as 'dudes.' It might have been a while, but she remembered some things of her country upbringing.

"Look at you!" Ty laughed, amused by Amy's choice of words. "Already talking the talk, soon walking the walk…" He was relieved to see the hat fit Amy and she looked as beautiful wearing it as he had imagined. White was her color. "It looks great," he finally said and helped her adjust it better.

Soraya was watching them from behind the counter and smiled. Anyone walking in could have thought they were a couple and if she wouldn't have known any better, she would've thought that too.

"Thank you. I'll make sure to wear it next time I come by. Maybe I won't look so out of place." Amy tipped her head to smile at him from beneath the brim. Lou was going to have a field day when, or maybe if, she learned about this. Thinking of her sister once again brought back the conversation they had the night before and it made Amy's smile slip as she took a moment to busy herself with removing the hat and replacing it in the box to put off the side to give them some room on the table. "This might seem really… um… weird and… random," was the only word she could think of, "but can I ask-" Amy stopped mid-sentence to look up at Soraya who appeared to pour her some coffee and take their orders. She was grinning widely between them, leaving whatever Amy was about to say to retreat into her mind to be replaced with thoughts of breakfast food.

"That hat looked good on you, by the way. Real natural." Soraya commented on her departure and Amy could have sworn she even winked. Ty smiled at the waitress too, but found himself restless thinking about what Amy was going to say - especially since she had mentioned coming back again sometime.

"Thanks," was Amy's quiet reply before busying herself with taking a sip of hot coffee. "How was Spartan this morning?" She asked Ty upon setting down her mug, disregarding what she might have been about to say prior and hoping it slipped his mind, too.

"That's… weird and random to you…?" Ty frowned. "I think it's actually pretty obvious question since I was counting on you to ask about him," he smiled then, leaving Amy to feel a little embarrassed as she shook her head with a soft, uncomfortable, laugh and a quiet 'no'. She shouldn't have attempted it. Obviously she wasn't prepared. "But he was good. We're not best friends yet, but he didn't run further away when I came to greet him before I left here - though maybe it was because I gave him some carrots. Bribery gets you long way, doesn't it?"

Running her finger around the rim of her coffee mug, Amy nodded. "That it does." Candy seemed to be Spartan's weakness, as he showed them the day before. It got him to go pretty much anywhere.

Amy's eyes slid over to the hat on the chair beside her, wondering if maybe it was Ty's attempt at a bribe. And if it was, then the question she needed to ask herself was: could she be bribed? At one point the answer would have been an easy yes, given past mistakes, but anymore she wasn't sure because she kept herself out of those situations to avoid the temptation. The temptation here was strong, whether the intention was there or not, but Amy's determination for self preservation was steadfast to the point of crippling. And it was that that Lou warned her would be the destruction of whatever potential this - whatever it was - could have.


	37. Chapter 37

The little box of horrors, as Ty liked to call it, waited for them on the middle seat of his truck. When he sat behind the wheel, his eyes automatically went to it. The box had the part that would solve the problem with Amy's truck and now it was just matter of hours before Amy was going to drive her truck back to where she belonged. Never had something so small and harmless made Ty this nervous.

"So… that's the part," he said to Amy, waiting for her reaction.

Her eyes lowered to the cardboard package, seeming so small and insignificant. "That's it? That's what's going to fix my truck?"

"Yup…" Ty nodded.

Amy admitted she knew nothing about the inner workings of vehicles, but this box didn't look like it held the fate of the world within its walls. She half expected to open it up and it be empty. Or maybe she hoped it. Either way, she thought it would have been larger. She reached over to pick up the box, learning then that it weighed a bit more than the air she expected. "So, pretty much the fate of my trip lies inside here and how truthful you were about your mechanical skill." A playful smile tugged at her lips as she gave the box a small shake like a kid testing out their gifts on Christmas.

"I'm happy to hear how much faith you have in me," Ty chuckled and put on his seat belt. He sensed Amy was having similar thoughts about the part than he was. "I know it doesn't seem like much, but sometimes even the slightest change can set everything off."

Maybe he wasn't just talking about the truck anymore. After he'd install the part, Amy's truck would hopefully run smoothly again, and Spartan's road to recovery was the cherry on top of this all. But no matter how many good things had come out of this, his life would somewhat fall apart after Amy's departure. A person that once used to be a stranger to him was now going to be the missing part of his inner workings.

"Oh, I have plenty of faith in you. It's the truck I'm worried about. I've had that thing since-" Amy stopped, the smile fading from her face for an instant while she redirected her statement when an old ache crept back into her chest. "For a long time," she finished, her eyes drifting out of the window as Ty got them on the road, suddenly angry at herself for being incapable of discretion. Somehow it didn't come as easily with Ty even when she wanted to keep a positive front. Somehow he managed to break open the weakest parts of her without even trying and before Amy even realized it was happening. Everyone else she acted as if she were made of steel, that there were no skeletons in her closet or ghosts in her past, and how easy she was to let things roll off her shoulders. With Ty she quickly learned how easy it was for all of that to just melt away and that's what scared her.

Ty couldn't help but notice the sudden change in Amy's speech, but decided to ignore it since he figured there was a story behind the origins of her truck and she wasn't ready to share it with him.

"Well, if it's a new truck you want, we can drive to Calgary first thing tomorrow morning," he tried to lighten up the mood. "Or we can just wait for newspaper ads from someone selling one…" He then started the engine and steered his car back home.

Amy looked at him a little startled. "I don't want a new truck." Then relaxed again when she realized how she must have just come off, but the thought of getting rid of the tan Chevy broke her heart. "I just mean it's temperamental and particular about who touches it. It may not appreciate a stranger tinkering around inside of it." She spoke of the truck like it had a personality, but Ty did as much not long ago when talking about his own blue classic so she didn't anticipate being teased for it.

"I think I recall not too long ago someone calling me crazy for treating my truck like it was an actual person…" Ty proved Amy wrong - there was always enough space for a little teasing when it came to him.

"Touché." She'd give him that one.

Back at the house, Remi was faithfully waiting on the porch. The dog barked at the vehicle, wagging her tail and finding it hard to stay still. Ty smiled at her: when Remi got really excited, it almost looked like she was tap-dancing.

"So, you wanna watch while I work on the truck or do you wanna check on Spartan?" he asked, wondering if she wanted to learn what exactly happened under the hood or if it was the horse that Amy found more interesting.

Amy slid from the cab and weighed her options, her light gaze being drawn to the broken down Chevy. Watching Ty work didn't sound terribly interesting, even less so when she had no inkling of what he would be doing, but they had mere hours remaining and Amy didn't want to spend them moping from afar. "Only if you let me do more than watch." She grinned and snatched up the box with the mysterious car part inside. "In case this ever happens again, I should maybe have some idea of what to look for or even what I'm looking at."

"That's actually why I thought I'd suggest it - because I knew you'd choose Spartan otherwise," Ty smiled, taking out the keys. He knew her too well already. "Let's go then. I might even let you do the honors…" He stepped out and before his legs even hit the ground, Remi was there to greet him. "Hey, girl. You've been a good guard? Yes? That's what I thought…"

Coming around the side, Amy watched the exchange between Ty and his dog with a soft smile and light shake of her head. It was that gentleness in him she admired and fell for when most guys, no matter how adoring of their pets, would treat a dog as, well a dog, in front of others. Remi was obviously much more than that and seeing how secluded Ty was out here, Amy was glad there was someone around to keep him company. That wasn't going to make it any easier to leave, but it didn't make it harder like leaving him out there entirely alone would.

She gave Remi a pet when the dog then came to greet her on their way to the Chevy, Amy going around to pop the hood. "I at least know that much," she said rather proudly, lifting the stick to prop it open. "I also know this is the engine. And this is for the windshield fluid." She pointed out the cap. "But, aside from that, I'm kind of auto challenged. So, go ahead and teach me something, maybe I'll retain it fast enough to learn." Amy was pretty good at successfully learning new things. It didn't take a lot for her to catch on, but repetition was what really made it stick. Just like with training horses, or any animal for that matter. She was also very hands on and learned better, and faster, by doing rather than listening or simply observing.

"Phew. I was beginning to think I'd be "out of a job" soon if you had known more than that," Ty joked and came to stand beside her. "Okay, so let's see…" He quickly went through some basics with her, explaining what exactly was wrong with her truck and how the broken part had made the whole system fall apart. As he talked, Amy nodded along and Ty had a feeling she was actually getting all of this, even if it was rather complicated to explain it to someone who might have not be so aware of these things. But in truth, it was all a foreign language to her with an occasional familiar word. She tried to follow his explanation, her eyes focusing on the parts he was pointing out and her mind attempting to make sense of the terms associated with them. In the end, she was better off than a few minutes ago, but far from an expert.

"First things first," he eventually said. "Roll up your sleeves. Things are about to get dirty…" Ty showed an example by rolling his own sleeves. "I'm going to guide you through this, but I need few tools. Wait here, I'll be right back." He quickly disappeared into his workshop.

Puckering her lips, Amy let out a heavy breath as she leaned away from the truck to do as Ty suggested. She glanced down toward Remi as she did who took refuge in the shade the shadow of the vehicle offered from the rising sun. "You think I can play the dumb blonde and manage to break something else useful?" The shepherd lowered her head between her paws in answer, gazing up at Amy with sympathetic brown eyes. "Yeah… me neither." The fact that she was considering direct sabotage of her impending departure should have been a blinding answer to her dilemma of wanting a reason to stay. Apparently she couldn't accept simply wanting to as reason enough. What she wanted, really, was Ty to want her to stay. To come out and ask her not to go. What she failed to recognize was how he already had.

"Okay, let's get this show on the road then," Ty soon returned back to Amy. "Want that aesthetic oil stain on your cheek now or later?" he joked and adjusted the tools onto his back pockets, so his hands were free to work but the tools would be available for using.

"Uh… I'm sorry, I didn't realize my face was an appropriate tool to fix a truck." Speaking of - she reached out to pluck a pair of pliers from Ty's back pocket. "And what kind of Mr. Fix-It are you that you don't have a fancy tool belt to carry all your tools? Like Bob the Builder. Now you really have me suspicious."

Ty laughed.

"I'm sorry I'm not some bubble headed dude with a big yellow helmet and a fancy tool belt. That damn Bob is setting some unrealistic expectations for every Mr. Fix-It…" he scoffed playfully.

"Just to those of us who don't know any better," she leaned on the truck beside Ty and offered him the pliers with a light smile."Now's your chance to show me how to defy expectation."


	38. Chapter 38

_Her whole body was numb, lost of awareness ever since the doctor came out to tell Marion's family that she passed away from the injuries sustained in the accident. She fought for her life, tried to hang on and regained consciousness a few times before they gave her an anesthetic to help her sleep. And sleep she did. An eternal, unwaking rest. Jack had been alone with her when she died, Amy too afraid to leave the chair in the waiting area she fell into since she'd been directed there by a nurse when they took her mother into an operating room. _

_She didn't remember leaving the hospital, or the journey home. She couldn't recall if her grandfather spoke to her or the tears the fell from his eyes he tried to brush off before stealing glances her way to check her state. Amy had steeled herself to feeling. She didn't cry since the tears stopped in the waiting room. Not a single one shed when the grave news was delivered. She felt hollow inside, lost. _

_She stared at the dashboard of the truck until it came to a stop in the stable yard, not even noticing until Jack touched her arm and told her they were home. Home. Amy slowly climbed down from the truck and looked around. It looked like her home, but somehow no longer felt the same. Something was missing and Heartland already noticed it. It would never be the same._

_Movement caught her attention and Amy looked into the round pen to see a horse loose wandering along the fence line. She stepped closer, realizing it was Swallow. "Did Swallow come back on his own?" she asked Jack, her first words spoken since they sat waiting in the hospital. _

_"He wasn't there when I left to meet you," Jack answered in a gruff voice, following a few steps after his granddaughter when she approached the horse._

_Crossing in front of the open barn door, Amy froze when she saw Jesse sitting on a hay bale just inside. She stopped and gaped at him._

_"I caught him. He didn't make it far before stopping to graze," Jesse explained, standing and taking a cautious step toward Amy. "How's your mom?"_

_That seemed to be the chink in Amy's armor. Tears welled in her eyes. "She's dead," she said bluntly, bitterly, blame dripping from her words. _

_Jesse's expression fell, his stomach knotted to the point of almost making him sick. "I'm so-" he took a step forward. "Amy, I'm so sorry."_

_Anger surged through her, heat rising through her body. "Sorry? You're… sorry?" Her tone was almost lethal, making him actually a little bit scared of what sort of outburst she was harboring. _

_"It was an accident," he offered gently, learning very quickly that was the wrong thing to claim._

_"This is all your fault!" Amy lunged at him, shoving him back with every ounce of strength that remained in her. "You did this! I told you to stop! I told you to slow down! Get out!" She shouted, her armor melted away as she broke down in hysterical tears, trying to shove Jesse again until he grabbed her arms to keep her from hitting him. "You killed her!" She screamed in his face, not caring to register the shock and fear in his eyes as he stared at her with no idea what to do or to say. _

_Jack appeared and quickly pulled Amy away from Jesse, though her hands grabbed for him as if wanting to tear him apart for tearing her apart. He stood utterly stricken and stunned. _

_"I think it's best you leave, Jesse," Jack told him, for all of their sakes. His presence was greatly upsetting Amy and his life appeared to very much be in danger if he lingered within her sights. _

_Doing as he was told, Jesse stepped out of the barn and passed Amy who looked at him as if he were some kind of plague that came and wreaked havoc on her family. "I'm so sorry," he whispered again as he passed, having no idea what else to even attempt to say. _

_"I will never forgive you! I don't ever want to see you again!" She screamed at his back, driving a sharp dagger right through him. Those words would forever be carried with him and his guilt a burden he would bare for the rest of his life._

"So, like this?" Amy connected the two pieces Ty pointed out to her until they clicked then moved her hands away for him to get the wrench in to tighten them.

"Yeah, that's it," Ty confirmed.

"Alright, let's give this a try." She hopped in the driver's seat, pulled the key from the visor and stuck it in the ignition. "Moment of truth." She called out the window. "Ready?"

"Uh-huh," Ty kept his eyes on the truck and waited. The engine made a cringing grinding noise before turning over and roaring to life. She grinned, raising her arms in triumph before shutting it off and climbing back out. "Hey, not bad Mr. Fix-It." She paused and leaned on the truck. "Or maybe I should start calling you a grease monkey." She laughed, examining the oil staining his hands to his elbows and even his face, reaching out to try and smudge some away, only succeeding in making it worse from the oil staining her own hands.

"Nice…" he muttered, feeling how she was making a mess. "Does that make you Ms. Fix-It or Mrs. Fix-It…?" Ty asked and wiped a greasy stain all over her cheek too.

Amy jerked her head back. "Well, now it's more like a disgruntled apprentice," she replied, reaching out with her own greasy hand to catch a clean spot of his cheek before making a hasty retreat.

"Hey!" Ty laughed and tried to stop Amy by gently grabbing her wrists. "I was only trying to give you some street credibility so that when you'd boast to your friends how you sort of fixed your own truck they'd actually believe you!"

"Sort of?!" Amy exclaimed. "I deserve more credit than that!" Not really. Ty was generous with what he gave her, but she was stubborn enough to demand more and to wrestle him for the upper hand now.

As she tried to wriggle her way out, Ty noticed she was gently pressing closer to him in the process. Eventually Ty loosened up his grip and she slowed down too, and they found themselves staring each other. "Listen… Amy… I need to say something to you."

Amy stopped moving, stopped struggling, and stilled in his grasp, allowing her breath to slow as she looked up into his dirty face. That was an abrupt change, one that actually startled her to silence when she saw him gathering his courage.

This was it. His grand gesture.

"I guess now that your truck is fixed, you can make your escape if you want to," he started, feeling nervous. It was hard to put the words in a way that would make sense, but he had to try. "I've been thinking a lot about the past and the mistakes I've made - and god knows there have been a lot of those… And when I have, I've always wondered what if I would've made things happen differently, chose my actions more wisely. The thing is, I will never know. What's done is done, I can't change that. And I've kicked myself in the head for not being braver in the past, because I've just let my future self down, the person I am now. So while saying this, I'm keeping that future self in mind, because you're going away and I know that if I don't say something, I will live to regret it. I don't wanna be stuck here, thinking back to this moment and cursing myself for not having the guts to say something to you. And I was sort of hoping you could help yourself too. I don't know if you've noticed, but there's something between us. I mean, I know I'm not good with this sort of stuff and you must know that by now, but hopefully I'm not a complete idiot. I mean, you kissed me, right? So… that must've meant something. I guess what I'm saying is that…" Ty thought about it for a while, "look into the future, predict it for a moment. In five, ten years, do you think you'll be thinking about that kiss and what could have been, or is it just me?"

Amy's expression softened as her brain nearly exploded into a frenzy of thoughts and emotions. Parts of her were sighing in relief, jumping for joy, frozen with fear, and seeking a way to flee. It was a moment of chaos that had her stomach twisted up in knots until she silenced them all and had them scattering to their respective corners to make room for the calm. This is what she wanted to know all along and she wasn't going to allow a frazzled head distract her from getting the answer she sought. "No," she answered firstly, with a gentle shake of her head. "I've been thinking about it since it happened, afraid that it didn't mean the same to you as it did me. That maybe it didn't mean anything at all to you because you didn't mention it again," she admitted quietly. "And, you know, why should it? We barely know each other. It was just a kiss by some girl on your couch, which I'm sure you've had enough of, judging from your bathroom cabinets." Amy lowered her gaze, pressing her eyes closed and instantly regretting those chosen words. "I'm sorry, that wasn't my business."

"I didn't say anything about the kiss because I wasn't sure if it was… you know, only about your nightmare. And I didn't wanna bring it up because I thought I'd upset you by bringing back the memories about whatever woke you up," Ty explained. "And secondly, those things… they are part of my past. Things I've held onto, because… I've got nothing else. I'm trying to move past them since it doesn't do any good for me to keep them here. But when you're lonely, you just fill that void with whatever you can - even if it doesn't matter to you anymore. She was someone I thought I loved once, but it wasn't love after all, it was just… acceptance, I guess. And there's not been anyone after her. Well, not until now." He lifted his eyes carefully, feeling his heart beat faster.

Amy shook her head. "Ty, those memories are going to be with me forever. I can't make them go away, just as you can't yours. As hard as they are, I've come to accept them, but it's harder for me to look past other mistakes. I've been hurt before, badly, irrevocably. It's my own fault, really, for being so forgiving when I swore I wouldn't. But, you know that saying 'fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice'…" She paused to take a breath. "Maybe that kiss did have something to do with my nightmare, but not its content. You were there. Checking on me, making sure I wasn't hurt; trying to ease away my fears. Fears you knew nothing about. You cared, Ty. The last guy I knew didn't care about much except one thing, and it certainly wasn't me." It brought tears to her eyes to think about Jesse and the disastrous, doomed, relationship they shared for far too long. She had to look away from him again, feeling the shame creeping back in for being so vulnerable.

"Well, I do. I really care about you, Amy," Ty assured. He wanted to wipe Amy's tears away, but his fingers were still greasy from the oil. "I only want good things for you. And I have no exceptions about this." Hopes maybe, he thought, "but… I just wanted to let you know that before you go. If you take nothing else from this trip, just take that - you deserve everything good you can possibly have."

Smiling gently toward the ground at Ty's words, Amy lifted her glossy gaze. "Thank you." Leaning up, Amy placed a light kiss on his oily cheek. Ty smiled a little. "I hope that past of yours knows what she left behind." Amy didn't know the whole story of Ty and his ex, only that she must have gone in a hurry to leave so much of herself behind. Or maybe it was her way of marking her territory, leaving Ty with constant pieces of her as reminders of what he had, tethering him to her, and always having a reason to come back if she so chose. And the fact that he kept them made Amy wonder if some part of him was hoping she would. "I also hope that you'll keep in touch and let me know how Spartan is and those renovations on the Hanley house. I would like to see it finished some day."

"Yeah… of course. I promise I will," Ty said. Part of him was happy that Amy was planning to keep in touch - or more like, wanting him to keep in touch with her, but it wasn't exactly what he had hoped the outcome to be, which was few more extra days, just to leave things to a better state. This felt somehow rushed, especially after everything that had been said, but maybe Ty's grand gesture had been too little and too late after all.


	39. Chapter 39

Ty had no idea how long he had been running after Spartan, but he didn't want to look like a loser by giving up now. He was hoping to impress Amy, make her see she had not worked for nothing and Spartan had not taken steps back in his recovery, but so far things weren't looking very good. At first they had tried to lure the horse closer by using food, but since the gelding had not been interested, Ty had to try other means. Turned out, they were not that successful either.

Sitting atop the fence, Amy couldn't help but giggle to herself while watching Ty try to chase down his horse. It wasn't enough to lift her spirits completely, but lightened her heart for a short while at least. Spartan had no intentions of letting Ty near him, but Amy could see that it was no longer out of fear. He was simply being stubborn. But Ty was trying to be just as stubborn in persisting until it didn't look any more promising than when he started.

Sighing, Ty stopped in the middle of the field and watched as the horse ran further away. He was out of breath and knew Spartan would never come to him if he was trying to approach him like this, so Ty finally admitted defeat.

"I know you said I'm supposed to learn to catch him myself, but would you like to give it a try?" Ty asked, feeling like a cheat. "We are running out of time."

Amy hopped down into the pasture and strode over to meet Ty in the middle of the field, her eyes trailing out to where Spartan stood watching them. "It seems you two still have a bit of a respect issue to work out," she patted his arm sympathetically then walked away to try her hand at catching the gelding.

Ty felt like a loser, but then again, maybe Amy would see that they were nowhere near where they should've been and she would stay couple more days. Wishful thinking?

Unfortunately, it didn't seem as if Amy was any better off. She could get no closer than Ty before Spartan leaped into a canter in the opposite direction. Amy knew that she hadn't completely cured Spartan overnight with just two join-up sessions. It was a long road to recovery, but this felt like a very massive leap backwards when he wouldn't even wait for her to approach. The only sign she saw of his progress was the lack of aggressive maneuvers. He wasn't pawing at the ground or kicking out in irritation at being pursued. He merely had no interest in fraternizing with the humans.

After a while, Amy too gave up to take a breather and dragged her tired legs back to Ty. "Maybe he knows of our intentions to clean him up and prefers to remain bedraggled and wild looking." And at this rate, that was exactly how he was going to stay.

"You'd look good all polished up!" Ty hollered at the horse, all in a friendly manner even if he was a little frustrated. Amy's truck was fixed and they were not going to groom Spartan based on the way things were going. He sighed. "Well we can't force him, can we? He would only start to resent us."

Amy shook her head. "No, definitely not. It'll just make it worse. He doesn't seem to be afraid just… I don't know, confused maybe?" She reached out to point toward the horse. "See his ears? The way they're swiveling back and forth. It's like he's not sure of something."

"Maybe he's not sure of me. I haven't really bonded with him yet," Ty thought.

"It's possible." Though Amy couldn't be certain of what it was, she did know that she couldn't keep wasting daylight just trying to catch him. "Either way, if he doesn't want to be caught, we're not going to have much luck trying." Amy paused, looking out toward the horse that cost her a few precious moments to linger a while longer. "Anyway, I still need to finish packing if I want to get on the road before dark," she said with heavy words that almost pained her to speak.

"Okay," Ty said, feeling like he was choking. "So… I guess… this is it then. No more rides to the town or here… You got your truck fixed, I got help with Spartan, just like we agreed," he was looking for anything in Amy's eyes that would show remorse about leaving all this behind, but she was hard to get through to. "If you're ever around here, feel free to drop by. I'll be here."

"I did tell you I'd come back. I plan to. There's a couple of things I'd like to check up on." She smiled faintly, dragging her feet as they left Spartan be and headed back to the fence where her truck sat waiting on the other side to take her away from Hudson and Ty, back to Vancouver, to her sister, her empty apartment and menial job. She did miss Lou, but the rest of it didn't have her leaping behind the wheel and flooring it back to civilization. "I can't thank you enough for being so kind and hospitable. I almost forgot what that western hospitality was all about from being in the city for so long." Now she was forcing herself to be formal, already trying to distance herself from Ty and whatever fleeting feelings had come between them to maybe make her departure just a little bit easier. But the fact of the matter was, those feelings weren't just fleeting and Amy could feel them sitting heavily there in her heart, dragging her down like a child clinging to their parent's leg and begging them to stay just a little while longer.

"I guess it comes with the territory, seeing I'm not actually even from here…" Ty smiled, trying to - as usual - joke the hurt away. "Let me get this one for you," in need of distractions, he hurried to open the door for her. "Drive safely."

"Thank you." Amy slid into the driver's seat, but held her hand on the door to keep it from being closed as she turned to look through the open window at Ty with a faint smile. "Ty… I…" She hesitated, her hand gripping tightly to the door frame. "I hope you know you deserve everything good that life can offer, too."

Ty smiled a little, feeling his heart swelling.

After a lingering look, Amy finally closed the door and turned on the truck, glancing down at the shepherd looking up at her from beside Ty, unable to allow her eyes to linger on the man any longer. "Bye, Remi. Thanks for the company the other night." Involuntarily her gaze slid up to Ty as the memory of that night and their kiss slid across her mind. "Bye," she said quickly, putting the truck into reverse and backing up to swing around so she was facing the road. Ty held his hand up, but slowly let it fall back. She paused with her hand on the gearshift, her eyes falling on the rear view mirror to Ty. Her eyes began to sting with tears and her chest ache with regret, but Amy stuck her arm out the window to wave as she put the truck into gear and headed back to town, her foot touching the accelerator harder than legally permissible. She was running. Again.

Ty watched the road even after Amy's truck disappeared behind the curve. He felt empty and lost, not sure how he was going to go on. Everything was back to like it had been, but at the same time nothing was like before. He wasn't the same.

Eventually, Ty dragged himself back to the field, ordering Remi to the porch so the horse wouldn't freak out and think she was a wolf and out to get him. Ty sat down on the field and watched Spartan grazing in the distance.

It all came back to him in flashbacks, these random moments, like noticing Amy's freckles or listening to her laugh, the way those things made him feel alive again. He wanted to believe she would be back someday, but that was always going to be a day too late; Ty longed for her already.

Out of the blue, he felt a warm breath against his shoulder. At first he got startled, especially after noticing the big black beast next to him, but then he realized it was Spartan. The horse looked bigger than he had remembered, but part of it was probably due to the low angle.

"Hey there, buddy…" Ty smiled and carefully touched his velvety muzzle. He had never been this vulnerable around him. Maybe Spartan responded better to this kind of body language than the nervous one he had had earlier because of Amy. She had always said horses were really sensitive creatures after all. "So, you decided to come to me now? You couldn't come to me a little sooner? If you had, she would still be here and I wouldn't be alone—"

And then it hit him.

"You think I should go after her too?" Ty looked at the horse. "Try to win her over, for the last time?"

He slowly got up and caressed the horses cheek. Spartan didn't feel like running away from him, in fact he looked like he enjoyed Ty's company. It made him smile.

"One last chance. Isn't that the motto we live by, huh?" Ty smiled. "Thanks, buddy." He slowly backed away from the horse and squirmed his way through the poles, leaving the gelding behind. Fishing his keys from his pocket, he got into his truck and drove back to the town, heart racing in his chest.

He only hoped he could make it there in time.


	40. Chapter 40

Getting back to the motel posed more of a challenge than Amy anticipated. Her mind was drifting and once the truck along with it when she was jolted by the sudden dip into the gravel as she ran off the road. Shifting in the seat, Amy adjusted her grip on the steering wheel and forced herself to pay attention to the turns and familiar landmarks that would bring her back into Hudson. She rolled through town, sitting through the one red light well beyond the time it turned green, causing the person behind her to honk in agitation. She glanced at them in her mirror, watching as they raised their arms as if to ask what she was doing. That was a good question that Amy continued to mull over even after getting back into her room to finish packing.

She got what she wanted - to acknowledge the kiss with Ty had actually happened and that it hadn't just been a thank you for checking on her and calming her down. It had meant something and what Ty said about wondering years from now of the what could have beens haunted her ceaselessly. She would wonder. She wondered now and would still wonder even after putting the distance between them that it would all seem like merely a dream in a few days time once she returned home to her normal routine. But that was just it. Her life in Vancouver was routine, something she could count on from one day to the next. She knew what she needed to do and where she needed to be when. It was all very black and white until her relationship with Jesse splattered red all over it and shook her roughly back to reality. That wasn't how to live. That's not how she wanted to live and never how she wanted it to be. It was like Ty said it was just… acceptance. Something she went along with because it was easiest and safest.

Her talk with Lou seemed to only give her the courage for the moment, planting a wonderful idea in Amy's mind that she could stray from what was safe and what was familiar to do what would make her happy. It was her own fears holding her back and that was exactly what was making her miserable now, taking her away from a real possibility at happiness and finally going after something she really wanted because what if it didn't work out? What if she stayed and suddenly learned Ty wasn't who she thought he was, or she wasn't who he thought she was and it blew up in their faces? What if that girl lingering in his bathroom came back to reclaim what was hers? What if, what if, what if… What if none of that happened and she was making a huge mistake by leaving it all behind?

Flipping the lid of her suitcase closed, Amy whipped the zipper shut and placed her hands on it, giving the room a last once-over to make sure she didn't miss anything. A folded piece of paper was all that remained on the dresser. Picking it up, Amy saw it was the real estate listing Ty had posted for the Hanley place in Maggie's. She gazed down at the images that didn't at all do the place justice. They made it look run down, something that should be torn down rather than fixed up. Most likely that's what would happen if the wrong person decided to purchase the house. It would be for the land, not what was sitting on it.

With something to temporarily distract her from leaving, Amy hauled her suitcase into the bed of her truck then drove over to park in front of the diner. It was fairly quiet that afternoon between the lunch and dinner rush, so Amy's entrance did not go unnoticed by Soraya who was wiping down the counter. The girl looked up with a grin, then glanced over Amy's shoulder as if expecting someone to be with her.

"Waiting for Ty?"

Amy tried not to let the sadness show in her smile as she lifted the flyer. "No. I, uh, I thought I'd just hang this back up. In case someone else came by who was interested."

Soraya's smile slipped. "Oh. So you're leaving then." The other girl did a much worse job at keeping her disappointment hidden, making Amy feel even worse about going. Soraya had been a better friend in the four days they've known each other than most of the ones Amy had back in the city.

"Yeah, I guess I am." Amy glanced down at the flyer before going back to the bulletin board where she'd taken it from.

Soraya followed behind. "It doesn't sound like you really want to. Did something happen with Ty? I know he can be kind of moody and… aloof, but you just have to be patient. He'll come around."

"No, it's not that. I was just here to get my truck fixed." Amy shook her head as if it were that simple, as if that was all she needed to say to convince herself to get in it and go back to where she came from.

Soraya didn't buy it at all and was ready to say as much when Mrs. Bell popped through the door carrying a basket of homemade jam, humming cheerfully. "Here you are, Soraya dear. Tell your mom not to worry, I added a bit less of my special ingredient to this batch." She winked at the girl who laughed and took the basket from the elderly woman with a thank you.

"Hello Amy. I was hoping to see you again. How is that horse of yours? Any better?" It made Amy smile that Mrs. Bell remembered her name after meeting her only one time.

"He's Ty's horse, and he's better. Thank you for all your help." She smiled warmly. "But now that my work is done, I'm headed back home."

"Home? So soon?" Even Mrs. Bell seemed surprised.

"Well, I only stayed to have my truck fixed and it is, so…" Amy didn't know how else to explain it, though it didn't seem anyone believed that was all there was to it.

"Oh. Goodness they way you and Ty were when you came by I assumed…" She stopped and waved off her thought as if it weren't important. "Nevermind it's none of my business. You have a safe trip, dear. Come back to visit sometime, okay?" She gave Amy's arm a gentle pat before turning to head back outside.

Soraya raised her brow at Amy. "Something definitely happened, didn't it?"

Amy let out a deep breath slowly. "I have to go, Soraya. Thank you for all of your help the last few days." She offered a small parting smile before leaning in to hug the other girl and forcing herself to turn and walk back out the door.

Climbing up into her truck, Amy paused before closing the door when she caught Mrs. Bell sitting on a bench outside of the diner, looking as if she were waiting for someone. Getting back out, Amy wandered over. "Do you need a ride somewhere, Mrs. Bell?"

The elderly woman looked up with a smile. "Oh, no dear. Thank you. My niece is supposed to pick me up in an hour or so. She just has a few errands to run. She offered to bring my jam to Maggie's, but I always enjoy a trip into town when I can get them."

Amy smiled softly. "I could take you home, if you like. So you don't have to sit here alone."

Mrs. Bell looked down the street then began to stand up. "All right. Truth be told my niece is notorious for being late and I can't have my little Sugarfoot alone in the house for too long or he'll get into quite the tizzy."

Laughing softly, Amy shook her head, still unable to believe this woman and her pony were for real. But it brought some special character to this small town that she admired and would greatly miss. Vancouver had character, too, but not always the flattering kind.

Mrs. Bell was nice company to have while driving the deserted country roads, but it didn't take Amy long to realize how many stories she could tell of her little white Appaloosa. Amy was eager to listen, amused by the mischievous little Shetland, but eventually her mind began to wander off and the smile she held as she listened to Mrs. Bell's tales began to fade. She could grow to love it there in Hudson. Already she enjoyed what she saw it had to offer and made friends so easily without having to be someone she wasn't. It brought her back to her roots and reminded her of the dreams she had before she moved away and convinced herself she was just being naive. She couldn't make a living doing what her mother did, even Lou agreed with her about that, being the successful, business savvy, woman she was. But working with Spartan made her wonder if maybe she could. If she stayed because of Ty there would always be the chance something would happen that wouldn't work out and she'd be left right back where she started. But if she could cut her own little niche into this small town, even if things with Ty fizzled out, she would have something to fall back on, her own life to hold her up.

"Did you hear me, Amy?" Mrs. Bell reached out to touch her shoulder, snapping Amy out of her thought.

"I'm sorry. What did you say?"

"You missed the turn back there."

"Oh. Sorry." Glancing over her shoulder, Amy slowed the truck down to reverse it back to the turn off toward Mrs. Bell's little farm.

Mrs. Bell watched her with concern. "Are you alright? You look like you're a thousand miles away. Eager to get back home?"

Turning onto the dirt road, Amy shifted a little in the seat. "To be honest, Mrs. Bell. I'm not really sure I want to go home."

"Why not?"

"It just… doesn't really feel like home, I guess."

"Then why go back?"

Amy sighed. "Because… I live there? It's where my job is, my sister, my apartment…" Even as she said it it didn't sound at all as if she was even convinced that was a good enough reason.

"You know you can still have those things wherever you go. And depending where you end up, maybe even a little something else worth staying for." Mrs. Bell seemed to be able to read Amy's hesitance to leave really well. Even Amy couldn't miss how she was hinting at Ty and turned to look at the older woman when they pulled up to her house. "Come inside a moment, dear. I'll make you a nice cup of tea before your journey home."

Amy lingered in the truck as Mrs. Bell climbed out, though knew she wouldn't be able to decline the offer out of politeness and followed her into the house where Sugarfoot was waiting at the door for them.

She smiled at the little pony and rubbed her fingers beneath his bushy forelock when he nuzzled her pockets for treats. Upon learning she had none, he wandered over to a low table laden with a bowl of red apples and helped himself to one.

"Just one you little bugger. Don't ruin your supper," Mrs. Bell scolded as she began to prepare the tea. "Make yourself at home, Amy. It'll just be a few minutes."

Amy looked around the small cottage. "Do you mind if I use your bathroom?"

"Not at all, it's just down the hall there. Second door."

"Thank you." Amy walked through the living room toward the short hallway that led to Mrs. Bell's bedroom and the close-quartered bathroom. When she came out, she paused when she was greeted head on by a familiar picture. Taking a closer look, Amy tilted her head to the side in awe before carefully removing the artist's sketch from the wall.

"Mrs. Bell, is this the Hanley house?" Amy carried the image into the kitchen, turning it around when Mrs. Bell glanced over her shoulder.

"Yes, it is. That's what it used to look like when I lived there as a girl. Wasn't it something?"

Amy's mouth fell open, utterly stunned to learn of this new revelation. "Wait, you're related to Mr. Hanley?"

"Oh, heaven's no. The Hanleys bought the place long after my family moved away. Levon was the one to inherit it after his father passed. It was in terrible disrepair. He wanted to try and get it fixed up but… well, there were a lot of rumors and stories that kept people from boarding their horses there. Eventually the money dried up and the stress became too much for the poor man." Mrs. Bell shook her head sadly, then walked over to admire the photo that hung on her wall for years.

"Before that dreadful fire the estate was full of such life and color. I was devastated to see it start rotting to the ground. Then Ty bought it and I've had such hopes that he'd get it back to its former glory, but it's a costly venture and with Levon's death hanging over the property, I'm just not sure what will come of it."

Amy's heart went out to the elderly woman as she looked so longingly and lovingly at her childhood home before returning to the tea. She turned the drawing back around to get a better look, her eyes scanning over every small detail and matching it to Ty's sketches in his workshop. His vision was similar, but still unfinished.

The two women continued to fawn over the picture over their tea, Amy probing Mrs. Bell for any little detail she could recall of how the place once looked before the fire that destroyed the barn and most of the outbuildings. She learned the graveyard that seemed so spooky and unsettling was the resting place for the horses and one stable boy that perished in that fire. The stable boy was named Thomas, and he was Mrs. Bell's first love. Amy found herself with tears in her eyes upon learning that and when she stood to leave, it wasn't with the intention of getting back on the highway to Vancouver just yet.

"Do you mind if I borrow this for a little while? I promise to bring it back before I leave."

"Not at all. I know it's in good hands with you."

After getting brief instructions on how to get back to the Hanley farm, Amy drove with the drawing in her passenger seat, pulling up to the log Ty said he dragged across the driveway to keep trespassers from driving up and vandalizing the property. The log could keep a vehicle out, but wasn't very useful when on foot. Amy climbed over it with the picture in tow, being careful not to drop it as she fought through the overgrowth to the abandoned estate.

She passed rotted fenceline and overgrown pastures with bone dry water troughs, some with holes rusted through. The house came into view and Amy's eyes lingered on the tire hanging from a tree branch along the side, smiling at the thought of a young Mrs. Bell swinging on it. Amy stopped and stood back in the driveway that split between the house and the barn - rebuilt after the fire - and gazed down at the sketch in her hands before lifting it to hold it against the backdrop of the real thing. It was still there, that old vibrance that had decayed over time. She could see it and feel it as she lowered the image to turn to look at the barn and dirt corral just outside of it. It did need a lot of repair and the barn probably torn down completely to be rebuilt structurally sound. The fencing needed replaced, the ground brush-hogged, the grass mowed and some of the grave markers in the cemetery fixed.

Amy wandered through the tall grass toward the headstones, not feeling so chilled to stand among them anymore. She read the names of the animals, all of them with the same date etched into the stone for the day of the fire. But it was the one that wasn't for the animals that made her bend in front of it - the one for Thomas. She rested the picture against her side as she reached out to pull a few weeds from in front of the stone to properly see it.

"You deserve better than this. You all do," she spoke to the dead, throwing her eyes among the graves. She placed her hand gently on the stone before standing again to turn toward the house.

"Alright. You win," she spoke to the estate as a whole, to the ghosts that kept dragging her back with their strategically placed little hints and clues. They wanted their home back just as much as Amy wanted a place to call home - a real home.

When Amy returned to her truck, she sat and stared ahead at the 'For Sale' sign posted just outside the gate with Ty's number in bold black letters to call for inquiries. Smiling to herself, Amy pulled out her cell. "Lou? I need you to do me a huge favor."


	41. Chapter 41

Midway to the town, Ty noticed he was running out of fuel. The little arrow in the meter was mocking him and his attempt to reach Amy by pointing toward the ground. Ty let out a low grunt. This wasn't happening, not now. It was like fate was playing a game with him and trying to give him a sign, but Ty chose to ignore it. Or maybe this was a test. A test where he could prove just how badly he wanted Amy to stay.

"You've gotta to be kidding me…" he murmured, deciding there and then that he wasn't going to let fate turn him into its bitch. Hell or high water, he was going to make it to the town and to the motel - hopefully on time.

Ty had to think fast: to turn around and get gas from his house or drive to the nearest gas station? Counting the kilometers both ways inside of his head, he decided going toward the town was wiser, because then he wouldn't have to drive back and forth and waste twice as much gas.

When he finally arrived to the gas station, he had to wait for his turn. Tapping the wheel out of nervousness, Ty was trying to come up with a strategy, even if it was hard with a mind that didn't want to focus on anything right now.

So, he'd go to the motel, knock on her door and ask her to stay at least one more night. He'd then see where they'd go from there.

Well, that was the plan at least.

As he arrived to the motel and behind her door, he proceeded. A knock, another, and third, but no answer. Already this wasn't looking promising.

"You bringing her another hamburger delivery?" The clerk startled him. Ty turned to look at him, feeling the blush on his cheeks when he realized the clerk remembered him and his poor attempt to find Amy a few days ago. The man circled around him, playing with a big ring of room keys in his hand. He was probably checking if the rooms were in a proper condition after another set of customers had departed.

"Is she around?" Ty asked.

"Left a while ago."

"Of course…" Ty then pulled out his phone, but the screen was black. Pressing the power button, he realized he didn't have any battery. "Seriously?!" He scoffed out loud, tightening his grip on the phone and holding it over his head as if threatening to toss the cell to the asphalt if it didn't start to work right now.

"You need a phone?" the clerk guessed.

"Well yeah, but… I haven't memorized her number…" Ty sighed, feeling the tears of bitterness in his eyes. The frustration was building inside of him, making his temples burning hot. He hadn't even reached her, so his plan was doomed from the beginning.

Maybe he was going to be fate's bitch after all.

Ty dragged himself inside Maggie's, moping with a dark cloud over his head. He sat on one of the chairs and laid his arms on the counter, hunching and letting the sadness roll over him. So much for the grand gesture.

"Hey, Ty. Can I get you anything?" Soraya chirped and offered him a friendly smile. "A coffee, maybe?" She took out a mug from under the counter, making sure it was a clean one.

"Make it something stronger…" Ty mumbled to himself.

"Sorry? Didn't quite catch that," Soraya squinted her eyes.

"Nothing. Coffee's fine, thanks," Ty said, even if he wasn't even craving it.

Handing the server the money, Ty let his eyes roam on the bulletin board next to him. His flyer about the Hanley place had made a return and this time it wasn't buried underneath all the other ads. Someone had placed it there not too long ago. "When did that came back?" he asked, pointing out to the flyer.

"Oh, like an hour ago." Soraya shrugged, pouring him the coffee. "Actually Amy stopped by. Apparently she was leaving town." She studied Ty's reaction, still sure something had happened between the two.

"She was here…?" Ty almost jumped up. "An hour ago?"

"Yeah." Soraya nodded, guessing the time frame was about right. "Everything alright with you guys…?"

Ty pondered what to tell.

"I was trying to find her… ask her to stay one more day," he admitted, "but… I guess I missed her. She's probably out of town by now anyway…" Ty shrugged, feeling even more depressed now that he knew he might have been closer to her if he had left sooner or he had not needed more gas.

"Have you tried calling her?" Soraya suggested.

"My phone died, of course…" Ty rolled his eyes, sighing, and leaning his cheek on his other hand.

Soraya had sympathy for the guy and she squeezed his hand lightly.

"This one's on the house," she said quietly, returning his coins back to the counter. Ty half-smiled, thanking her with a nod.

"Thanks, Soraya…"

About fifteen minutes later, Ty hopped back inside his truck and slammed shut the door. He had nowhere to be, so the obvious destination would have been home. But he didn't really want to be there right now, so he started the engine and drove around for a while, almost as if trying to shake the thought of Amy.

Maybe he had been over his head. Amy had a life in the city, she had responsibilities. Four days was enough to make her fall back on that busy lifestyle and she needed to revive that pulse as soon as possible. Another night in this God forsaken place probably wasn't appealing to her as much as Ty thought.

But maybe just one more try? It couldn't hurt, eh…? It's not over till it's over, Ty repeated the mantra in his head, realizing just how pathetic he was being, but that wasn't really any news to him - he was just living up to his reputation is all.

He stopped his truck on the side of the road and dug out his phone. He pressed the button down as long as he could, a desperate look in his eyes, and finally, the screen turned white.

"Yes yes yes!" Ty was jumping in his seat when he noticed the phone had one tiny bar on the top corner. He waited until it was functional again, then searching for Amy's number. But he didn't have time to find it because his phone rang immediately. It was a strange number, maybe a new client, Ty thought. He pressed the phone on his ear, answering. "Hello?"

Some minutes and another dead battery later, Ty was driving back home. He was still thinking about that phone call he had just received, having mixed emotions about it. On one hand he was happy, but on the other, it felt almost spooky how someone had made that call now of all days.

Maybe it was a sign he just had to learn to let go.

Waiting to see Remi on the porch, Ty realized the dog wasn't alone. Next to the King Shepherd sat a familiar blonde woman wearing her new white cowboy hat.

It was Amy.


	42. Chapter 42

"Where's your dad? Huh, girl?" Amy rubbed the obedient dog's ears as she sat down beside the shepherd on Ty's front steps. Remi had been patiently waiting on the porch for her owner's return, which made Amy wonder where he'd gone off to after she left. Maybe he had errands to run, or people to meet with. Life carried on. But with such a huge change beginning to take root in hers, she was anxious to share in both her excitement and fears with him. She wanted to tell him the news and to thank him for the courage he unknowingly helped her find to take a chance on making something good happen in her life. Mostly, she just wanted to see him again.

Hearing a truck coming down the driveway, Amy's head jerked up. She had to tip the brim of her hat back a little to see from beneath it but upon seeing his blue GMC pull up to the house her face broke into a wide smile. He barely had a chance to get out before she was getting up and forcing herself not to sprint across the driveway to meet him, restraining her pace to a fast walk.

Apparently he had read Spartan's suggestion wrong: the horse had not encouraged him to go after her, but to wait, and the good things would come his way.

"You're probably wondering what I'm doing here," she started before he could ask. His question was obvious. Her head began to shake before the words could come from her lips. "I couldn't do it, Ty. I couldn't leave. I don't want to leave." She paused and wet her lips. "Since I lost my mom I've just been going through life on autopilot. Just accepting the way things were and taking the easiest routes to a comfortable life. I lost my will to strive for the things I've always dreamed of doing because without her guidance I just never thought I'd get there. But these last few days… they've been eye-opening. And I have you to thank for that." She smiled warmly at him as Ty stopped to stand in front of her, admiring the beauty before him. "I know it's going to be a long work in progress, but I would really like to stay - at the Hanley farm. I want to buy it, Ty. I want to help you restore it, to see it alive again. And I want to continue helping you with Spartan and…" She stopped her breathless ramble before she got carried away, her expression softening as she gazed up at him. "And I don't want to wonder what could have been." Her words came more calmly, delicately while her eyes flickered down to his lips. "I want to know."

Ty stared ahead, not knowing what to say. It was as if he was hypnotized and mindlessly giving in to the pull that was bringing him closer to her.

Then Amy gave in, completely. Stepping forward she reached out to wrap her hand behind his head, pulling him down to meet her lips. Her eyes closed and her fingers stroked through his hair as she held him firmly against her. They were wide awake, standing in broad daylight. There were no catalytic nightmares, leaving no room for questioning just what exactly was going on.

Ty wrapped her closer, wishing he'd never have to let go.

When their lips parted, Ty slid his thumbs gently across Amy's soft cheeks as he gazed deep into her blue eyes. He took his time, memorizing it all just in case he was dreaming wide awake.

"Amy… I… I have good news and bad news…" Ty finally spoke, hoping she would not pull away. "The good news is that… I'm so glad you're here. I was going after you, hoping I'd be able to find you before you'd leave. But I missed you, you had already left. And coming home to this… it couldn't have been more perfect," he smiled, feeling his heart breaking free from all the chains. "And the bad news…" his face got serious, almost apologetic. "The Hanley farm…."

He couldn't even believe it himself.

"Someone called me just a while ago and they wanted to buy the place. I mean, of course we still haven't done the paperwork, but… It's only fair to sell it to the person who gives the first offer. And I haven't had any other offers so far and I guess… I just wanted to sell it to someone at this point because it's not like the phone is ringing off the hook… I'm really sorry, Amy," Ty's hand traveled down on Amy's shoulders to give her light squeeze of comfort. It felt bad to shoot her down like this.

Her heart jolted in her chest when Ty informed her that someone had already called about the Hanley place. The smile faded from her lips to a look of shock and slight disappointment. Maybe she had been too late after all. But she refused to admit defeat yet until she knew of this other bidder. Maybe they could negotiate. "Wh-who was it that called?"

"Some woman…" Ty tried to remember the name. "Laura… Lori…" he mumbled names out loud, shaking his head, "Lori Morris… No… That was not it. Louise…?" He sighed. "I can't remember. I wrote it down, it's in my truck."

That smile started to reappear, growing wider and fuller until Amy broke out into a fit of giggles. Seemingly uncontrollable, she had to take a step back so she wasn't literally laughing in Ty's face. Ty frowned, letting her go. She wasn't laughing at him, but out of sheer relief that whatever hopes she had of staying hadn't been completely trampled on. Her hand went to her mouth to muffle them until they slowed then lowered her hand to her aching stomach. "Louise Morris. Ty, that's my sister, Lou." She took a deep breath to calm herself so she could speak. "I asked her to call you to negotiate a price because she's just way better at that stuff and is going to help me get a loan and prepare a financial plan to cover the construction costs and everything. I put that bid in on the Hanley place." Her smile still stretched across her face. "Does that mean you accept?"

"Wha… what? That was _your sister_?" Ty was stunned, feeling his jaw drop. "Why didn't she say anything? She was so professional and kind of intimidating…" he confessed, trying to think back at the phone call, not believing how the dots were slowly connecting inside of his head.

Amy started laughing softly again, shaking her head and lifting her arms in a shrug. She had no idea why Lou didn't mention the call was on Amy's behalf, but when it came to business Lou was all, well, business.

"And I guess the answer to your question would be yes. I'm accepting her—_your_ offer." Ty then joined her in the laughter. "This is crazy!"

He gestured toward his head and then around him, like he couldn't wrap his mind around any of this but not really minding it. Ty glided close to her, cupping her face with his hands again.

"And I'm crazy for you…"

Going in for another kiss, Ty let go of it all, every doubt, every fear, every worry. There was now only room for happiness and budding love in him.

Amy was still grinning through their kiss, her hands gripping his sides and for the first time unwilling to let go. For the first time in a very long time her heart felt light and free from the shackles of the pain she held onto as a reminder of what happened when she'd been naive and careless with whom she gave it to. She wasn't about to give it to Ty now, learning her lesson the hard way, but she was giving it a chance to explore again and to remember what it was like to experience the journey and test new boundaries. And if the destination was as bright then as it is now, then she'd let it truly soar. It was a work in progress, just like her new home.

"There's just one… small problem," Amy said when they came up for air. Ty looked concerned, fearing there would still be more dark clouds hanging over their heads. "I'm going to need a place to stay for a few more days until that paperwork is finalized. I don't want to be cited for trespassing or something." Not that Ty would do that, but if she were to be visited by some authorities she wanted written proof that it was indeed her property and she had every right to be there. "And… you know, maybe until it's somewhat more liveable," she hinted.

"Well… I might know a place," Ty said, making small circles with his hands against Amy's back. "It's somewhat more liveable, though pretty small, but very cozy. The food isn't that great, but I'm sure you'll learn to love beans eventually. And there's one big plus…" he was trying to hold back his grin to make it more serious for just one moment more. "You'll have the best room mate ever. And yes, I'm talking about Remi. Because I, of course, will be a total nightmare and won't stop doing this…"

He kept planting more kisses on her lips, Amy's laughter filling the space between each one.

"I don't know… my sister always told me it was never a good idea to get involved with your roommate." She kissed him with a teasing grin. "Then again, I think she was talking about university," she said, with her lips still hovering over his before stealing another longer kiss.

Then she remembered and tipped her head away. "Oh, I almost forgot! I have something to show you." She disappeared from his grasp, already feeling exposed without him near, but went to retrieve the drawing of the Hanley house she'd borrowed from Mrs. Bell. "I ran into Mrs. Bell at Maggie's and look at this." She held up the sketch to show him. "It used to be her home. This is what it looked like before the fire. She remembered everything - every detail. I think we should involve her in this. She deserves to see her childhood home resurrected properly." She looked up from the artist's rendering to Ty, looking for his opinion.

"Wow… This is amazing," Ty was astonished as he studied the details in the artwork. "This is even better than what I had in mind." He once again experienced the restless feeling where he couldn't wait to get started with the house, especially if it was going to look even close to what it used to be. "We definitely should involve her in this. Absolutely."

He took a look at the picture again, smiling to himself, then returning his eyes to Amy.

"Okay. I have one more deal," Ty then suggested. "How about you continue to help me with Spartan and I will get the house fixed. What do you say?"

Pressing her lips together, Amy tried to suppress the grin that seemed incapable of leaving her face, trying to maintain a hint of professionalism. This was a business deal, after all. "And what happens when the house is finished and Spartan no longer needs me? Am I just going to be your not-quite-so-distant neighbor then? Do we occasionally meet at the mailbox and exchange brief pleasantries?"

Ty chuckled a little.

"Well… maybe that's something we should discuss? You know, make sure both parties are going to be pleased with the agreement," he gently wrapped his arm around Amy and turned her toward the house. "But instead signing papers, we could seal it with a kiss?"

Tucking the framed artwork beneath her arm, Amy wrapped her arm behind Ty's back. "I could live with that," she agreed. "Although, my sister may want something a little more… formal. So maybe a kiss and paperwork for her sake?"

"Okay," Ty agreed.

It seemed like a reasonable plan. What didn't was Ty's canned bean fetish.

"And by the way, if I'm going to be staying here for a while I'll be in charge of the grocery shopping. And maybe we can throw in some cooking lessons for you…" Amy rambled on of her masterful cooking schemes, walking in step with Ty across the driveway.

They walked to the house, Remi following by their side._ It was not over till it was over,_ Ty thought,_ but this, this was just beginning._

**THE END**


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